


Tacos, Wham! and Love

by KilgharrahPendragon



Category: Deadpool (Comics)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Death, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Love, M/M, Original Character(s), Romance, Slow Burn, Violence, cursed deadpool, thanos curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:41:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 102,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23530225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KilgharrahPendragon/pseuds/KilgharrahPendragon
Summary: Deadpool has been going out of his mind with boredom but when he gets contracted to identify and "take care of" an investment banker's stalker, the job turns out to be a lot more difficult and a hell of a lot more interesting. Who knew Death was such a beautiful disaster? Turns out, he's as much of a mess as Wade and maybe together the two could make a decent team.It's Heru's Deathday present and Alexander Bradley is about to face judgement and he's wearing a Hello Kitty t-shirt. He isn't supposed to get involved, he's meant only to observe but meeting Wade quickly changes things. Knowing what's to come, Heru tries to keep his distance but it's been a very long time since he's had a conversation with someone besides the voices in his head and things rapidly spiral out of control.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the Author: Thanks for choosing this story! I won't ramble too long so please don't go away. I just wanted to make a couple notes: first, this is my first time writing Marvel fanfic, be gentle with me (I like lube). Secondly, I apologize if I get certain facts incorrect or I don't perfectly capture Deadpool's essence, it's hard to capture a god, also I haven't read all the comics, only a handful of graphic novels and the movies, so please don't crucify me. Thirdly, and this is important because TRIGGER WARNING. This is a Deadpool fic, so obviously there's going to gratuitous violence, obscene language, smut, but there's also references to rape, slavery, child molestation, pedophilia, abuse, suicide and self harm. I'll be clear: Deadpool doesn't rape anyone nor is there details about him being raped. And lastly, I'm not a big fan of original characters in fanfiction, but I have a character who I just could not stop seeing with Wade and I can't focus on my original work with this stuff playing in my head 24/7, so here it is. Heru's character is just too perfect of a match and because of what he is, I'm able to explain in a satisfactory way (I think anyway) why and how he would end up in the Marvel universe. Please enjoy, I will update as frequently as possible and as always, constructive criticism is welcome as are comments.
> 
> Very Important Note: This story was written with the intention of me changing it into an original story. It started out with just a scene between Heru and Deadpool but as I started writing it, I realized I didn't actually want to be writing a fanfiction. I finished the first draft as a fanfiction (woo being manic and writing a book in 20 days!) and this is the result. There won't be any further editing of this story, however, if you are interested in reading the original work, you can find me on FictionPress and LitNet. The book is called "A Summer With Death".

Heru's Voices:

It/Death [...]

Present '..'

Past < ... >

Future {...}

Deadpool's voices:

Yellow {...}

White [...]

**Chapter One**

**June 15, 1998**   
**East 23rd Street, New York City**   
**11:00 PM**   
**Heru**

Heru stood on the edge of the forty story building, the tips of his shoes just over the edge as he stared at the tall glass apartment building across the busy New York street. The warm summer air was weighed down by the sticky heavy humidity making his t-shirt cling to his back unpleasantly. His dark eyes followed the movements of the man as he paced across his living room floor, a phone held to his head as he nervously talked, the other hand gesturing wildly. He had pulled the currents shut but that didn't stop Heru from being able to see him. He was on his list and if he wanted to see him, he could see him, no matter where he tried to hide. His lips curved upwards in a feral grin as he watched. There was no escaping him, he had a month before his time was Due but this was Heru's deathday present and he was going to savor every minute of it.

 _[Make him suffer]_ , the quiet but sharp voice purred in his ear, _[make him feel everything he's done.]_

"I will," he whispered back, it was a promise he intended to keep.

 _< You're sick>_, the other softer voice, the past, whispered. He closed his eyes, willing that voice away but knew it wouldn't leave. There were always so many voices whispering in his head, he couldn't distinguish them from his own internal thoughts anymore, _did he even have his own thoughts anymore_? They were just Past, Present, Future and It. The timelines were too jumbled, too many realities mashed together in his mind and it didn't really matter anyway. The past, present, future-it was all the same in the end. It was all him and at the same time, it was all It. It wasn't exactly like he had to deal with a whole lot of human interaction anymore anyway, not for hundreds of years. He wasn't even sure when the last time he had gone home had been. Was it thirty years? A nagging voice whispered something about it being ninety years.

 _[Ring around the rosie]_ , It sang and he rolled his eyes.

"It's ring-a-ring-a-rosie," he corrected before turning his attention back to his prey. He licked his lips, his stomach fluttering excitedly as the man peeked out from behind the curtain.

 _{Good, he knows he's being watched}_. Heru nodded in agreement, yes, it was ideal that he knew he was being stalked. Let the fear ripen.

**June 22, 1998**   
**Somewhere in a not so friendly neighbourhood, New York City**   
**6:24 PM**   
**Wade**

He was so fucking bored. Wade's head smacked the tarnished wooden bar with a loud thunk, rattling the ice in the drink next to him.  
"I'm so bored," he moaned in complaint, looking up at Weasel, his Deadpool mask twisted into a pout.

"Jesus Christ Wade! Get your head off my bar," he growled, "you're getting blood everywhere."

"Spoil sport," he grumbled and sat up, his head still covered in the blood from attempting to unalive himself a few minutes before coming to the bar. He had rigged Bea up specifically to try and alleviate his boredom with a bit of unaliving. It didn't go as planned.

_{It rarely does}_

The sword had lost momentum before it had severed his spine, resulting in just a bloody mess and a hoarse voice for a few seconds. He hadn't lost consciousness and decided to go see if there were any jobs. 

"Give me the good stuff Weas," he rasped, as he attempted to clean up the blood his head had left on the counter.

[Leather isn't absorbent dumbass] White helpfully pointed out as he just smeared the mess around.

"Fuck's sakes Wade," Weasel muttered, tossing down a dirty dish towel and a shot glass filled with his favorite rye.

"It just adds character," he quipped, rubbing the towel against the counter half-hazardly, "or that's what my realtor keeps telling me!" He abandoned the towel and spun around on the stool to take in the night's crowd. It was dead. There were a few regulars huddled together in private conversations, Domino was playing pool against some poor sap {doesn't he know she always wins?}, and no one had won tonight's pool. He sighed dramatically and shot back the smooth rye.

"You want a job?" Weasel offered and Wade over-spun and passed Weasel's face twice before he grabbed the bar to stop himself.

"Uh fuck yes," he leaned forward eagerly, "what do you got for me? What piece of shit needs a lobotomy Deadpool style?"

_[Maybe it's an evil mutant!]_

_{A challenge would be nice}_

"Oooh! Do I get to steal something? Please tell me I get to steal something from the President?!" he practically begged. God, he needed a job.

"Nothing that interesting, I wasn't even going to offer it to you, it's a little too small peanuts for you but he requested you specifically," he shrugged and reached into his stained apron pocket to pull out a slip of paper and set it on the counter, "the pay is good, figured you might be bored enough to take it. Some rich banker guy needs protecting. He sent one of his spooks down looking for you, told him I couldn't promise you'd take it but," he trailed off with a shrug and poured another shot before walking away to make Domino and her mark another round.

"Protection eh?" he unfolded the paper and looked at the phone number, "oooh five big M&M's! Noice!"

_[Hey, Spidey would be glad we're taking a protection gig!]_

_{He still doesn't like the good paying jobs}_

_I don't think it's about the money, I think it's the whole killing people part that he takes issue with._

Weasel wandered back and leaned his elbows down on the bar so that he could speak quietly with him.

"Don't have the client's name, the spook wouldn't give it, said he wouldn't want to be associated with a place like this," he explained and Wade sniggered.

"I can't imagine how anyone could think a place like the Sister's could have any kind ill-reputed reputation," he mourned, Weas snorted derisively.

"It's probably just a case of an overzealous journalist taking the search for a story across the stalker line, but since things have been quiet for you lately, figured you'd be open to the job," he poured them each a drink.

"Salute!" Wade clumsily clicked glasses, spilling drops from both before peeling back his mask and finishing it in one swallow, "thanks Weasel," he pulled out a couple random bills from a pouch and left them on the counter.

Once outside, he pulled his phone from his back pocket and dialed the number, skipping down the street while he waited for it to be answered.

"Hello, Mr. Bradley's office," a chipper voice answered.

_[I bet she's cute]_

"Hey baby girl, can I speak with the boss? He wanted me to call," he purred cheerily back, she giggled at being called a baby girl.

"Who should I say is calling?" she asked and Wade considered it for a moment. He could just say Deadpool but if the guy wasn't wanting people to know he'd contracted a mercenary, it might not be the best idea.

"Tell him it's Mr. Wilson," he answered, deciding to play the professional card.

_[We have those?]_

_{Wait! Since when?!}_

"Oh he's expecting your call, I'll put you right through," there was a click and then a brief bout of hold music before he heard someone pick up the other end.

"Mr. Wilson?" A deep but friendly voice questioned and Wade leaned against the brick wall of a Blockbuster tucked between a pharmacy and the city's finest shawarma stand.

"Mystery man?" he questioned right back in a mock whisper.

"Mr. Wilson, I would like to talk to you about a possible job, it would be a one time contract," he said, ignoring Wade's lame joke, "I assure you I'm not in the business of ever needing someone such as yourself, but unfortunately, something's come up and well… I would like it handled discreetly."

_{Uh, he knows he asked for Deadpool right?}_

_[The merc with a mouth?]_

"I get it," he shoved off the wall and started walking again, unable to sit still, "you're an upstanding citizen and wouldn't want to tarnish a spotless reputation by being associated with someone like me."

_[Fucking story of our life]_

"I'm glad you understand," Wade imagined he nodded in approval, "I'll text you my address, I'll be home within the hour. I don't want you seen anywhere near my office," he told him.

"Right,"

_{It feels so great to have strangers be ashamed of knowing you}_

_[I mean, we are well known for killing people so…]_

"I'll see you in one hour," he hung up and a few seconds later, his phone buzzed with the address. Madison Square Park Tower.

"Damn," he whistled, he'd need to take the subway since Spidey was out of town and not around for a fun swinging cab ride.

An hour later, Wade was standing in the elevator whistling along with the smooth jazz as he pretended not to notice the two very well dressed older couple huddled in the corner, cowering in fear. He definitely hadn't noticed the diamond necklace and earrings that were easily worth well over a million each. He also didn't notice the mink coat she was wearing or the canary diamond cufflinks, worth two million, in the cuffs of the man's sleeves as he wrapped a possessive arm around his wife's shoulders. He assumed she was his wife, but she could be his mistress although he doubted he would have a mistress that old. Her black hair was more silver streaked with black than anything else. The elevator dinged as it reached the floor he wanted and he curtsied with an imaginary skirt before skipping out and down the hall.

_{They stuck their heads out to look at you}_

_[I bet she was checking out our cute butt!]_

_{I bet he wanted a taste of this sweet ass too!}_

He walked up to the apartment with the golden numbers 405 and rapt his knuckles hard against the painted wood, ignoring the door knocker. There were muffled footsteps and then the door swung open.

"Mr. Wilson," the guy had a slightly dorky face, little eyes lost in a beefy face and behind a small pair of glasses. He was probably six foot one, barely shorter than Wade but not as broad, although he held himself like someone who had played a lot of contact sports and he stepped aside, inviting Deadpool in.

"Mr. Bradley?" he questioned, although judging by the lack of a weapon, the socked feet and expensive clothing, he wasn't the hired help.

"For some reason, I didn't expect you to use the front door," he joked.

_[Yes, I always come bursting through my client's windows when I'm first meeting them]_

_{It makes for a great first impression}_

Wade forced a laugh and accepted the outstretched hand and shook it, noting the firm handshake. He walked inside, scuffing his boots along the carpet as he very obviously nosed around, going so far as to go hunting for the kitchen.

"Uh," Bradley stammered and followed him, "I've never really needed anyone like you, I mean, someone with your unique skill set before," he fumbled but Wade could see him in the reflection of the especially shiny, freshly polished stainless steel fridge door and nothing in the man's appearance matched the nervous, innocent tone of his voice.

_{Sinner or saint?}_   
_[Always sinner]_

"Because you have your own men or because you never needed someone dead before?" he bluntly asked, keeping an eye on his reflection as he opened glass cupboards, his mask hiding the fact that he wasn't actually looking for anything and was really gauging the man's reaction to having a nosy, sloppy merc pawing his things.

"Um," he hesitated, his face getting more and more taut with every cupboard Wade opened, and pointedly left open, "neither, actually and I never said I wanted someone dead," he corrected, following behind Wade and shutting cupboard doors.

"I'm confused," he spun around and folded his arms across his chest, "I'm a merc, you hire me when you want someone dead."

"Or when you want to protect something or someone and are willing to do it no matter the cost," he suggested, the tension slipping slightly from his shoulders now that Wade had stopped rummaging.

_[Time to explore the rest of the house]_

He pushed away from the counter and headed back out to the living room, picked up a stack of mail and flipped through it, nothing of interest here, all on the up and up so far.

"Please, Mr. Wade, let's discuss this in my office," he directed, his tone belying his annoyance.

"Sure sugar daddy," he grinned and followed him into the impressive home office. There were plants everywhere with a collection of, _[what are those? Orchids?]_ in one corner and several baskets of green leafy things hung around the room. There was a large, imperial looking mahogany desk with two leather chairs in front of it. Bradley sat down in the giant computer chair on the other side and motioned for him to sit. Reluctantly, Wade sat down, his left knee bouncing as he tried to contain the restless energy.

"I believe I'm being followed," he said finally and the white lenses of his mask narrowed.

"Why?"

"Well, I keep things in very specific places, I'm a creature of habit you see," he expounded, "and despite no alarms going off, I believe someone has been in my home recently. They didn't steal anything, just… well I think they just wanted me to know that they could get in. Recently, I've started to notice someone following me wherever I go, but I never get a good look."

"No, sorry you misunderstood," Wade held up a leather clad hand, "why would someone bother with following you in the first place?" The question seemed to surprise Bradley.

"I've done very well for myself, Mr. Wilson," he adjusted his cuff-links, _[diamonds]_ , "and unfortunately investment banking is a rather… cut throat business. I've made some business enemies and I've been working on a unique project for quite a while now. It's just about finished and I'll be looking to sell it off soon, my rivals are looking to stop me," he explained easily, clearly a man who was used to being admired and impressed and he paused in all the right places to make it sound like he was concerned but not afraid. The tension lines around the corners of his eyes, the alcohol on his breath and the stink of sweat all betrayed the fact that this man was most definitely, very terrified.

_[Why do I get the impression Mr. Upstanding isn't telling us the full truth?]_

Wade leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk as he considered him.

"So you think one of these, 'business rivals'" he added air quotes, "would go so far as to try and kill you?" Jeez, I had no idea banking was so risky.

"Maybe not kill me, but I do think they might be after some trade secrets at the very least and I protect those just as ferociously as my own life," he said with a smile that twitched as stared at Wade's large red and black boats.

"Uh huh, so what did you want me to do for you?"

"Well, I believe my day security is qualified to protect me outside of the house and while I'm at the office, however, I would appreciate your protection from seven PM until seven AM while I'm here, at home," he told him, "I would also appreciate any information you could turn up on my mysterious stalker and what information he may already have."

"Alright," he looked up at the ceiling, that was easy enough, "I'm sure I can do that for you."

"Of course, I expect a certain level of discretion that… well, you're not well known for but that's why I'm offering to make it worth your silence," Bradley opened a drawer and pulled out a cheque book.

"Did my guy get it right? Five mil for a simple protection and investigation gig?" he asked.

_[That's an awful lot of money to get rid of a casual stalker]_

_{Not get rid of, doesn't even want us to kill anyone}_

_[Something smells fishy… or is that our breath?]_

"Yes, that is correct," he started filling out the cheque.

"What if I come across your stalker face to face?" he challenged, ah, yep, there it is, Bradley looked up with that murderous glint Wade could recognize anywhere.

"Then I expect you to live up to your name Deadpool," he said firmly and ripped the paper free and held it out, "consider this a deposit. Until the threat is taken care of, the remaining three million will remain with me. You'll get the rest when you complete the job."

_[So we are killing someone?]_

_{Yep, he's just trying to play the good man who would never hire a contract killer}_

"If you're such an upstanding guy with nothing but trade secrets to protect," Wade leaned forward, the cheque disappeared into a pouch as he pulled his legs down and leaned his elbows on his knees, "how did you know how to contact me?" Bradley smiled sheepishly.

"I believe in second chances Mr. Wilson, and there are a number of my security staff who have… a checkered past. I don't hold it against them, everyone makes due with the hand we're dealt, I can't judge someone for that. But I've been very fortunate, had a lot of success and I believe it's the duty of those in power to pay it forward, so I hire anyone qualified for the job, regardless of their past," he explained, "one of my senior officers had heard of that… bar you frequent and that it was a good way to get in contact with you."

"Well aren't you just a regular old saint?" he considered him for a moment before nodding, "alright, we have a deal."

 **Souls Collected:**  
Michael Swason  
Age 6  
Died June 15, 1998 2:01 PM  
Heart failure, malnourishment

Jessica McPherson  
Age 13  
Died June 15, 1998 2:39 PM  
Murder, strangulation

Michelle Peterson  
Age 27  
Died June 18, 1998 10:39 PM  
Suicide, exsanguination

Regina Gonzalaz  
Age 3  
Died June 22, 9:02 AM  
Murdered, shaken impact


	2. Chapter Two

**June 23, 1998**   
**East 23rd Street, New York City**   
**10:58 PM**   
**Heru**

It had been a week of stalking and Present was growing impatient. It wanted the man screaming and writhing in madness now, but Heru had long since given up immediate gratification, especially when it came to his presents. It was only once a year that he got to play with his food and after five hundred years, or was it six? He shrugged, he'd lost track of the years somewhere after eighty, after Andreas.

_< This still hurts, he's gone forever>_

"Shut up," Heru hissed. He hated Past the most, loathed his constant reminders of what was long gone and buried. He had done this long enough to know not to waste his yearly gifts on immediate gratification and this one was a special delight. He had been following the investor, Mr. Alexander Bradley, for the last week, allowing his presence to be felt but not seen. He had entered his apartment a few times while he slept, to fuck with him. He moved his cell phone from one night stand to the other. Adjusted the clocks by a couple minutes. Moved his keys from the table to the fridge. Tiny, little things to make him question himself but also make him question if someone else had been there. Yesterday, he had started on the next move: making sure the prey knew that he was definitely, without a doubt, being followed. He would let Mr. Bradley catch glimpses of his shadow, and he had started calling him and saying nothing as Bradley grew increasingly frustrated as he went from threatening to afraid. Heru grinned as he hit call again and lifted his phone to his ear. It rang four times before Bradley got the courage to answer it again.

"I told you to stop calling," he growled and Heru's grin grew even bigger, resembling the Cheshire cat. He said nothing, just deepened his breathing so that Bradley knew he was there and listening. "You're going to regret this, whoever the hell you are. You have no idea who you're fucking with!"

 _'Hehehe'_ , Present giggled excitedly.

 _[Oh, yes… yes we do],_ It purred. Heru felt the darkness rush against his skin, he knew his eyes had turned black as It fought against the little bit of Heru that remained in control. We're playing with it. The slow burn is the best so settle down, he whispered the reminder inside.

"You're dead!" Bradley spat before hanging up. He tilted his head to the side as he pulled the phone down, watching from his perch on the roof as Bradley ran a shaking hand through his hair and poured himself another drink. He spilled it, his hands were trembling so badly.

"You know…" an amused voice said from behind him, "nobody likes a peeping Tom, especially one that talks to himself." Heru spun around to see, < _no, it cant be >_, Past gasped. He opened his mouth to say something but was too dumbstruck to make the words come out. Had he really gone into this universe without realizing it?

 _{You're getting old}_ , Future scolded.

"I," he closed his mouth as he stared at the Merc with a Mouth, clad all in red and black leather with those large white eyes staring at him.

"Cat got your tongue?" he questioned as he jumped up on the ledge next to him, "are you a cat burglar? Did it run off with your tongue?" he asked dramatically and looked all around them as if expecting to see a cat snacking on said tongue.

"Deadpool," was the only word he could manage to get out. This was not something he had intended to happen. He hadn't even realized he'd entered the Comic Verse and he glared up at the sky, silently cursing his author for putting him in this universe. It was too cruel when Andreas couldn't come with him and meet his heroes.

"Are you a fan?!" Deadpool squealed, his hands pressed against his cheeks in mock excitement and Heru cleared his throat.

"A bit," he said honestly.

_'A bit?! Are you freaking kidding me? That's freaking Deadpool!'_

_[Get rid of him, he's distracting us from our prey]_ , It growled angrily.

 _< No talk to him! He reminds me of Drea, I wanna talk to him about his time with Spider-Man! Has he met him yet? Where are we in his timeline?!>_ Past pleaded, and Heru felt him mentally pulling at him, attempting in vain to take over. His shoulder twitched, almost in a shrug, as if trying to shake something off.

"I'll uh, leave you to your…" Heru gestured to the roof, "whatever it is you're doing up here."

"Watching my client," Deadpool answered and pointed at the window Heru had also been watching. His thin eyebrow rose in surprise.

"That one?" he asked, pointing to confirm and trying to hide his expression as Bradley stood at the windows, the currants brazenly wide open.

_'Oh shit, did Bradley seriously higher Dead-fucking-pool?'_

_{Well that certainly explains why he seems to have grown a pair tonight.}_

_[It won't matter, he's ours even if it means going through Deadpool]._

"Well there's this whole client confidentiality thing that I'm supposed to respect and he really stressed the whole discreet thing," Deadpool explained hesitantly, adding air quotes to 'supposed to' and 'discreet', "but yep, that's my guy," he said wistfully and pretended to sigh and swoon over him.

"Alexander Bradley hired you or he's your mark?" he questioned, It making his voice far more threatening than he intended.

"He hired me to protect him," Deadpool's large orb lenses narrowed in suspicion, "hey now… you wouldn't happen to be my new boo's stalker, would you?"

_[Push him off the roof]_

_'But tell him to back off first!'_

_{This is going to complicate things….}_

_< I wish Drea was here, he would lose his shit over meeting Deadpool!>_

_[I said to fucking push him off the roof!]_

" _Shut up!_ " Heru snapped, glaring over his shoulder as he blushed and cleared his throat. Shit, he was really taking this whole crazy person thing seriously. Deadpool was looking at him, somehow a curious but offended expression was etched into his mask despite not being able to see his face.

"I didn't think I was talking that much, but wow, ok," he held up his hands and backed off, "but I mean, if you are my guy's stalker, we're going to have a problem." Heru blinked, taking a moment to process what he was saying before jumping from the ledge onto the asphalt roof.

"You should drop the contract," he told him, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Can't do that sweetums," Deadpool said with a sigh, "that's not how the whole mercenary gig works."

"Did he pay you?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at him.

"Only half, insisted he'd give me the other half after I took care of his little problem," he shrugged, "I guess he wanted to ensure his safety. But I mean, I do find it kind of insulting, it's as if he doubts my reputation!"

"You can't," Heru sighed and turned back to him, "you'll get the rest of your fee, I can promise you that but this," he gestured at the two of them, "it isn't going to work. We're just not meant to be," he said teasingly. He knew it was going to happen, he'd known by the minute way Pool's muscles had tensed in his shoulders and legs, the way his fingers had twitched but he made no attempt to move out of the way. If he had to prove his point, he would. Deadpool pulled a gun from his thigh and emptied the clip into Heru's chest, the sound of gunfire echoed off the surrounding buildings and scared several pigeons from their perch across the street. Rude Heru sighed and looked down at his chest where smoke was rising from the seven bullet wounds.

"You know… I really liked this shirt… like, really liked it. It's like, over a hundred years old," he groaned as he looked at the now ruined HIM t-shirt he had dragged across realities since his human days. Deadpool looked at his gun and sniffed the end of the barrel, his deep frown comical.

"So, guess I'm working against a decent heal factor eh?" He challenged as he pulled Bea and Arthur from their sheaths.

"Nope," Heru admired the swords, looking at all the deaths they had and would cause, the way the soul imprints glinted off their deadly blades, _'so many beautiful colors'_ , "Wade, seriously you can't win this round, just… stop."

"I don't know if anyone's told you, but sooner or later, I always get my man," he said the last part in a dramatically deep, scratchy voice, chuckling to himself. He cleared his throat and straightened, everything about him changing to a dangerous serious as he lunged forward, katanas swinging through the air.

 _'This is so much fun! I can't believe we're dancing with Deadpool!'_ Present squealed in delight as Heru stepped out of the way of each strike, his hands still in his pockets as he ducked, bent backwards and even ended up doing a pirouette in order to avoid a well aimed thrust.

_{I don't think this is called dancing.}_

_[Finish this quickly, we don't have time for this, he thinks he's safe now!]_ It screamed loudly, making him wince.

"Deadpool you can't kill a Reaper," he yelled from behind him, standing on the ledge once more. Deadpool spun, clearly confused and not succeeding at hiding it.

"A what?" his eyes narrowed again but he slowly lowered his swords.

"A Reaper," Heru repeated, ignoring Past's attempt to take over the story to explain in great detail exactly what he was. Future reminded Past that they would get there in due time, "you know, Grim Reaper?" Wade laughed, his shoulder shook as the laugh grew but he tried to contain it as he spoke.

"Like the big bad Grim Reaper? With the scythe and like… skeleton?" he struggled to keep a straight face, "you?" Heru smiled and shook his head, of course Deadpool would get hung up on the details, "but you're like… five feet tall! You're just a kid! Besides, Death is a chick, everyone knows that and I can't die, also even if I could, no one would come and reap my soul… well.. I mean, there might be a few devils who'll fight over it…" he trailed off, muttering to himself.

{Yea, to drag you into Hell where you belong} the Yellow box appeared over his right shoulder and Heru momentarily froze as he stared at it.

_'That's weird'_

"Think what you want, Pool, but that man," he pointed at Bradley's apartment, ignoring the box, his voice growling slightly as his thoughts turned back to Bradley, "is mine and no one in all the universes can stop me from reaping him. I'll give you the rest of the pay when I take him," he offered, hoping the merc's skewed set of morals would accept the offer without further question but he highly doubted it.

[Hey, that's a pretty decent offer, we should take it! I vote we be lazy!] the White box appeared over his other shoulder and Heru quickly looked away.

_{You should most definitely ignore those}_

_[Yea, that wouldn't be good if he knew you could see those]_

_'No one likes a peeping Tom!'_

Definitely going to pretend I don't see them.

"Look," Deadpool sighed and put his swords away, "I'll give you tonight but if I catch you tailing my dude again, I'm going to have to unalive you." Heru groaned and rolled his eyes.

"You can't unalive something that isn't alive Wade," he said, "but you should listen to White and back off," he advised, looking over Deadpool's left shoulder so much for ignoring them! and stepped off the ledge, disappearing into the Between.

**June 23, 1998**   
**East 23rd Street, New York City**   
**11:22 PM**   
**Wade**

_{How the fuck did he know about White?}_ Yellow growled in a panic. Deadpool ran to the edge of the building and looked down but there was no sign of the strange little goth that claimed to be the Grim Reaper.

 _[I don't understand, how does he know about us?]_ White repeated his question.

_{And what did he mean, you should listen to White?!}_

"I don't know," Wade shook his head, that really made no sense. He pulled out his desert eagle and checked the clip, yep, all the bullets were gone. He walked over to where he'd shot the man and knelt down, searching for any sign of blood but there was nothing. There were also no bullets.

_{He's probably just some mutant with a death complex.}_

"I mean, there sure are a lot of those out there!" he agreed, but there was something familiar about him that not even the boxes could deny.

_[This doesn't make sense.]_

"Don't ask me, I don't know what the plot is yet," he sat down on the ledge and pulled out his binoculars, finally doing what he had told Bradley he was going to go do and watched the apartment.

**June 23, 1998**   
**Apartment 405**   
**Madison Square Park Tower, New York City**   
**11:22 PM**   
**Heru**

He was angry and he couldn't pretend otherwise, not at Deadpool, but at Bradley's audacity to think he could hire a mercenary to protect him.

_{What a fool!}_

_[There is nothing that can protect him]_

Heru couldn't agree more. He travelled through the Between, the space between all things where Reapers travelled and magic moved with the least resistance, and appeared in Bradley's bedroom closet. It was large, bigger than Heru's own bedroom and the walls were lined with outrageously expensive clothes, shoes and accessories. He ran a hand over the suit jackets, his fingers trailing across the silk ties as he walked around the room, looking at all the creature comforts his dealings had brought him. Heru picked up a particularly nice pair of Gucci loafers and he wondered what child had been sold to pay for them. His lip curled in disgust as he set them down. He could hear Bradley moving around but when he opened the closet door, he knew the human wouldn't see him. He smiled as the man walked into the carpeted floor, pulling his tie off as he began to prepare for bed. He had a sudden flash of grabbed the tie and strangling the man with it, watching the life drain from his eyes as the blood vessels exploded across his ever reddening face, his nails clawing helplessly at his neck, drawing blood. He could feel him underneath him, his body thrashing and bucking until his tongue filled his mouth and the whites of his eyes were completely red and he was utterly still. Reality came crashing back and Heru drew in a deep, slow breath as the darkness shivered across his skin, drawing in the scent of his soul.

 _'Is it time to play?'_ Present asked excitedly, the voice practically quivering.

 _{Yes, it's time to play}_ Future giggled with equal excitement. Heru ignored them all as he allowed Bradley to sense his presence. He grinned as the man spun around, panic in his eyes as he looked around him. The sound of his heart rate increasing was like music. He closed his eyes and reached for the souls that Bradley was responsible for taking, he pulled at their memories of their human existence. It didn't upset them, they had long since moved on, carried away to their next cycle by other Reapers but their memories lingered in the air. Most people couldn't sense them, those with psychic abilities could sometimes pick up the impressions left by the dead but only a Reaper could recall them, pull them out of the web of the universe like a loose thread. There were so many that the scum in front of him was responsible for snuffing out and it was easy to grab hold of a couple. Past screamed at them, trying to bring his own memories with them but It blocked Past out, now was not the time for his personal baggage.

"Ooooh Alexaaaander," Heru whispered in a sing-song tone, still unseen but allowing his voice to be heard and laughing as Bradley's watch went flying in the air. He had been putting his blood bought accessories away when the voice nearly made him wet himself.

"Who's there? Is that you Mr. WIlson?" He called out, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a small silver gun. Heru plucked one of the memory imprints and thrust it into Bradley's mind, forcing the most traumatic memories the girl, Sara Keats, had experienced while he had arranged for her to be sold. Bradley screamed, the gun falling from his hand as he grabbed his head. Heru held the memories to his mind with such force he fell to his knees, the flashbacks so vivid that even Heru could smell the stank acrid scent of human sweat, fear and sex. He ignored the discomfort he felt, the sheer terror on Bradley's face was worth it. His face twisted into a wicked smirk as he watched him experience every moment of terror she had felt, every degrading, horrific, soul destroying second. It was only for a minute, but he knew it was the longest minute of Bradley's life thus far. He released her memories, pulling her unique essence from Bradley but leaving the memories there. There wouldn't be another moment of peace for Alexander Bradley, Heru would make sure of that.

He jumped in surprise as the force of the front door being broken down shook the walls. Bradley let out a terrified scream and cowered in the corner of the closet, trying to make himself as small as possible.

_[It's time he felt their fear.]_

Heru's nose wrinkled and he had to resist the urge to spit on the pathetic sight and instead he walked out into the bedroom. Deadpool came crashing in, singing some ridiculous Britney Spears song as he moved around the room, a gun in each hand as he searched for the threat. When he saw Bradley curled up in the corner, his arms lowered slightly as he assessed the situation. Heru sighed, _this was indeed going to be a problem if Deadpool was going to come crashing in every time he was playing._ He left the bedroom and headed for the office down the hall. He went in and turned the lights on, locking the door behind him as he soundlessly went through the room. He could hear Deadpool trying to talk to the distraught Bradley who was a bumbling mess. It would take a few minutes for him to get anything coherent from him and in the meantime, Heru could still have fun. He pulled his right hand free from his pocket as he approached Bradley's collection of orchids. 

_'Why do creeps like him always have a bunch of weird plants? Doesn't the writer know that's a cliche?'_

He had a large collection in the corner of his office, a fancy grow light set on a timer was suspended above the large table providing the delicate plants with their minimal light. There were several other plants in the room, throughout the whole apartment actually, the man had a surprisingly green thumb. Heru ran a finger across one of the orchids' petals, the tiny rush of the small life raced up his finger as the plant shriveled and crumbled in a pile of compost. He touched each orchid, watching them all blacken, shrivel and then fall into a slimy mess of rot. Heru walked all around the office, touching each plant, absorbing its life energy and storing it. He sat down at the large impressive desk and stared at it for a moment before breaking open the locked bottom drawer. There were a bunch of files, he ignored them for now, he would get the proof of the man's crimes later but there was something else he was after. He knew a man like him would keep a trophy nearby. He would want to look at it, would want to remember some of his most memorable moments with each victim and Heru knew he would keep one of his most prized trophies near his home work space. It would be too risky to bring it into the office, but at home, he had always considered himself safe. He was rewarded as his fingers closed around a small silver tube at the back of the drawer.

Heru pulled the lipstick out and looked at it. He slowly pulled the top off and twisted the bottom, bringing the pale red lipstick to the top. He closed his eyes and lifted it to his face, expecting to smell the soul of the owner but he jerked his head back.

_[Fuck that hurts!]_

_< So many souls…>_

"Shh," he whispered, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He let the images play again, but slower this time. Bradley had picked out the lipstick, had bought it from a cute redhead at MAC Cosmetics on Broadway. He watched as Bradley held a crying woman by the hair and he made her put on the lipstick, telling her she needed to look the part. She wasn't the only woman he had used the lipstick on. He watched, bearing witness to the crimes committed against her and all the others, hatred making his blood boil.

_'If we had blood'_

_< We don't have blood anymore? Since when?!>_

Ignoring them, he closed the drawer and got to his feet. He left the office, walking through the wall and back into the bedroom. Deadpool had managed to get Bradley into bed and was reassuring him that he would stay the night outside his bedroom door and promised that no one would get past him. Heru smiled, the poor fool, he shook his head.

 _{He has no idea what he's getting into}_ Future said with a sigh.

He headed into the on suite bathroom and removed the cap of the lipstick once more. He waited to hear the bedroom door close shut before he began writing 'I'm coming for you' on the mirror, it was lame and corny as all hell but it would be effective. He wrote it repeatedly across the glass, as if writing lines on a chalkboard. He wrote it on the glass shower wall, wrote it on the underside of the toilet seat just for shits and giggles. When he was done, the lipstick was just a little nub and he carefully returned the cap. He made a point of leaving it in the middle of the large counter, right where Bradley would see it. The best part of playing with his food was making sure they knew why it was happening. He wanted him to be afraid, wanted to prove that not even Deadpool could protect him from what was coming and Heru wasn't going to be the worst of it. Bradley's soul was slotted for a special hell dimension where it would slowly be stripped into nothing, reduced to stardust, never to be recycled but he would experience an eternity of pain before that. He would find out what was to come, but not before Heru ensured he knew every reason why.

 **Souls Collected:**  
Victor Ager  
Age 16  
Died June 23, 1990 8:42 PM  
Heart attack, Karōshi


	3. Chapter Three

**June 24, 1998**   
**Apartment 405**   
**Madison Square Park Tower, New York City**   
**6:32 AM**   
**Wade**

Wade was on his feet, busting through the bedroom door the moment Mr. Bradley had screamed the next morning. He raced into the bathroom, skidding to a halt just behind him and stared, mouth hanging open.

'I'm coming for you' was written on every glass surface.

_[What the actual fuck?]_

_{How the hell did he get in here?}_

_[Maybe he can walk through walls?]_

"Or teleport if that's what we saw…" he muttered.

"How the hell did you let this happen?" Mr. Bradley hollered as he spun around, his fleshy face sweaty in his anger and fear.

"There was no one here, all night," he told him flatly, "I secured the room before I locked you in. This…" he looked at the tiny scrawl of lipstick words, "is unexpected. And I can't explain it, yet, but I will!"

"You had better!" his round, stubbly face was red with anger, "or you'll find yourself in a lab being carved up and experimented on like you deserve," he snarled.

_So much for being a boy scout._

_[Uh, harsh much?]_

_{We're not going to be anyone's experiment again. We'll kill him.}_

"Don't worry, I'm ending this tonight," Deadpool snarled right back, "your day security is here," he said as voices filtered down the hall. "In here boys!" he called but Bradley shoved him out of the bathroom.

"Idiot! I don't want anyone to see this," he snapped and quickly closed the door behind him.

_{Interesting.}_

"Everything ok boss?" The young security agent asked, eyeing Deadpool nervously.

"Everything is fine," he barked, "now everyone get out! I need to get ready for work. Mr. Wilson, I expect to see proof that you've taken care of this tonight." he ordered and Wade did a mock salute before rolling his eyes that were hidden behind the mask.

"Copy that boss," he drawled before blowing everyone kisses and prancing out of the apartment.

 _[You know you're not fooling anyone right?]_ Yellow box questioned, pointing out that he had managed to let a psycho killer into his client's house.

"Shut up," he hissed as he got in the elevator. He needed to think, regroup. Whoever that kid had been, he obviously had a few tricks up his sleeve.

_{You mean besides being beautiful, bullet resistant and apparently vanishing into thin air?}_

_[Don't forget his uncanny ability to dodge Bea and Arthur]._

"Obviously," he sighed. What was it about Bradley that had this kid zeroing in on him? He wondered if anything he had told him last night had been true, about him being a Grim Reaper.

_[He can't be, we met Death before and that ain't her!]_

_{What if he is?}_

_[Then we should get the fuck out of here, screw the money because we all know there are worse things than death.]_

_{Are you fucking kidding me?!}_ Even Wade paused mid stride and looked over at the white box in disbelief. _Back out of a fight? Ha! Never_. Well, at least not one so interesting, also he wanted his pay day. It had been a really long time since anything this interesting had happened. Honestly, he had been getting a little too bored and for Wade, bored wasn't a good thing. Bored meant more hallucinations, more voices, more memories. His one and only close friend, Spider-Man, was off being a hero with Betty Brant in Europe looking for some monster and was too busy to patrol with the morally questionable merc even when he was around. Wade tried to stay busy, even got a couple regular Joe-Blow jobs for a couple weeks to try and pass the time. It didn't end well.

_{That's an understatement}._

He left the building and headed home. The day security team would take care of Bradley for a few hours while Deadpool did some research. He unlocked his apartment door and strode into the hovel that was his current home. He tucked his keys in a pouch and kicked the door shut behind him. He pulled off his mask, his lungs expanding gratefully as he grabbed his laptop and the top box of pizza from the five foot stack beside the table. He flipped the box open and gave it a cursory examination for mold before grabbing a slice and biting into it as he opened the laptop.

Grim Reaper, he typed into the Google search. It wasn't like he didn't know that Death was real, that it was personified but he had met Lady Death, a very long time ago, and he knew he would never be with her.

_[Jealous boyfriends are the woooorst]_

_{He wasn't her boyfriend, he was her stalker}_

_[Right, I always forget that part.]_

_Look, maybe there is a Wade Wilson out there who gets to die, but in this reality we're still cursed._

_[Which means this guy can't possibly be Death, right? I mean if he's claiming to be some agent of Death, that… doesn't work does it?]_

_{I have no freaking clue.}_

_None._

**June 24, 1998**   
**Central Park, New York City**   
**7:49 AM**   
**Heru**

Heru made his way through Central Park, weaving through the busy crowds and trying to avoid touching any of the awful tourists.

_[You should touch that little kid over there]_

_'Wow, way to make that sound pervy'_

_{We could see how he dies!}_

"No thanks," Heru grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he side-stepped said child and continued on his way.

_[You're no fun]_

"I'm working," he whispered in annoyance.

_< You're always working, we never do anything fun anymore>_

He ignored them and stepped off the path and into the cluster of walnut trees. He looked around and made sure no one was looking before he knelt down and slowly pulled out a hand. He closed his eyes and felt inside for the little fluttering life energy of the plants he'd taken. Orchids weren't native to New York and it wouldn't be right to plant them here, but he shifted the essence and placed his hand on the ground. His veins turned black, the color racing down his arm and into his hand as he released the energy. Twenty three little green sprouts broke their way through the soft earth and he pulled his hand away, watching the life energy swirl as the stalks grew until there was a small patch of wildflowers. He stood up, tucking his hand back in his pocket and watched as the energy he had placed melded with the earth's natural energy, welcoming back the little lives that he had temporarily taken.

"I'm sorry," he whispered before turning away and disappearing. He reappeared in the tiny apartment he had rented.

' _I still think it's weird you're renting a place'_

_< Where else are we going to play Mario Kart?>_

_[You should be following Bradley, not indulging in human nonsense]_

"I have other things to do," he said and pulled off his shirt, frowning deeply as he put a finger through one of the holes.

_'I think it's so awesome that Deadpool shot us!'_

_< Drea would be so jealous!>_

"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't exactly be jealous of getting shot," he pointed out and shook the shirt, pulling it through time and back to before Wade had showed up. He smiled at the now holeless shirt and tossed it in the laundry hamper that was a mixture of clean and dirty clothes.

_{I think it's safe to consider it just dirty clothes at this point}_

Heru kicked off his shoes and changed into a clean pair of pants and grabbed his favorite Hello Kitty t-shirt. With a flick of his hand, his list appeared in his palm and he glanced at the time. _7:53_. It was time to go find Judy Smith.

**June 25, 1998**   
**East 23rd St, New York City**   
**1:30 PM**   
**Wade**

"You know," Wade drawled in amusement when he found the Reaper on the same roof later that night, "this isn't exactly what I pictured when I pictured Death stalking a man. When I knew Death, she was a bit more… regal you know?" he said, leaning against the chimney wall, his arms folded across his chest with two large take-out bags in one hand. Heru looked up from his seat where he was watching Bradley, a black and white stone pipe in one hand and a bright orange lighter in the other.

_{Is Death smoking weed?}_

_[Is that even allowed?]_

_{There should be rules about doing drugs on the job}_

Wade opened his mouth to ask Yellow's question but the look on the smaller man's face made the air disappear from his lungs.

_{Holy shit why is he looking at us like that?}_

_I don't know, I don't like_ , Wade squirmed, his free hand sliding down to his desert eagle when the other winced painfully and quickly covered his eyes.

"Ow shit!" he yelped, rubbing his eyes and setting his pipe down beside him, "yea I know I wasn't supposed to, shut up," he was saying and Deadpool relaxed a little more.

_{Did he just hurt himself looking at us? I mean, that's kind of rude, we have our suit on!}_

_[Isn't it kind of nice not being the craziest fucker here for once?]_

_{I wouldn't give the crown away just yet}_

"You ok there sparky?" He questioned, pushing away from the wall and striding over to him and plopping down next to him on the ledge, his feet dangling.

_{You should jump, see how big of a splat you make}_

"Yea, sorry," he glanced at him for a second before quickly turning his focus back to Bradley, "what are you doing here?"

"Same as you probably, keeping an eye on our man here," he gestured across the street and Heru let out another sigh.

"You know this is inevitable Deadpool, his Due date's coming up and there's nothing you can do about it," he told him again but Wade simply shrugged.

_[His due date?]_

_{Is he pregnant?}_

"You know it's the funniest thing, last night, I was here doing the whole protection shindig outside the guy's apartment when I hear him screaming bloody murder. So I bust in, guns at the ready and there's no one there! Like they just disappeared," he glanced over to see if the other was reacting, surprised to see a look of surprise and shock on his face.

"Oh no! Was our precious Bradley hurt?" He held his hands to his heart, voice practically dripping with worry, "did something terrible happen to him?"

"Not a scratch on him," he said, narrowing his white lenses as he glared at him, "perfectly fine besides the whole drooling and mumbling incoherently part."

"Huh, sounds like he might have just been having some bad memories, he should see someone about that" he suggested cooly, his face expressionless but Wade thought he could see something else in those very delicious eyes.

_{Those what?}_

"Anyway, I clear the room, clear the whole apartment, no one's there. So I set him up in his bedroom, lock him in and spend the night sitting outside the door. Didn't sleep a wink, I know, you can't tell, I always look this beautiful," he flashed him a grin that grew when he saw the other smile, "but the strangest thing happened. This morning, he lets out another scream and I run in and there in the bathroom, on all the glass is written I'm coming for you. I know! Totally lame 70's b-horror style, but it seemed to make Bradley nearly piss himself that's for sure. Weirdest thing, totally classic horror, it was written in lipstick with the lipstick sitting on the counter. Odd don't you think?"

Heru shrugged, "I mean, maybe he wrote it himself."

"Strangely enough, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to threaten himself. Also, I don't picture him being the type of guy that's into cross-dressing and owning lipstick. Don't get me wrong," he held up his hands pleadingly, "I've got nothing against it, I make a beautiful woman myself, but I just don't see him sporting that shade of red and I know he doesn't have any lady in his life. I did do my research when I took the job."

Yellow snorted.

"Ok, maybe I just read his Wiki page, but he's single," he was certain of that fact, _or at least 85% sure…. Ok maybe 35%._

"Maybe he bought it for someone special and has been saving it," he offered, glancing at him for a second.

"Maybe," he agreed, it was after all, possible that he had overlooked a potential love interest but the guy just didn't seem like the romantic type, "or maybe, he had a visitor that could just disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye. You know anyone that could do that?"

"I know a lot of people who can vanish in the blink of an eye, we exist in a very large universe Pool," he replied sarcastically.

_[He's kind of annoying]_

_{I like him}_

"I'm sure you do, but maybe that's where you went after our little meet cute," he suggested instead and Heru smiled.

"I didn't hurt him if that's what you're implying, didn't even lay a finger on him," he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his fingers together.

"Well I know a lot of people who don't have to touch someone to hurt them and you definitely did do something, that's for sure."

"All I did was re-introduce him to a few… friends of his," he said quietly, his eyes darkening as he watched Bradley move about his kitchen.

"Dangerous friends?" _Interesting, does Bradley have some secrets?_

_{Everyone has secrets}_

"No," he shook his head vehemently, "no, they're good people, really good. He just played a major role in the way their lives turned out and they wanted to thank him," he smiled darkly and something about the way he said it sent a shiver down Wade's spine.

_[This guy is a psycho killer]_

_{We would know! Birds of a feather…}_

"Riiiight," he shuddered, "let's say you're telling me the truth, say you really are the Grim Reaper-"

"Not The and lose Grim, it's just Reaper," he corrected.

"Right Reaper, whatever," he waved a hand, "I tried to do some research but the only thing that came up was some weirdo bad guy from the 60's, Lady Death and just general mythology about the Grim Reaper. The one thing that was consistent throughout all of the myths though, excluding freaky dude from '63, is that they're all neutral, even Lady Death," he paused to study the other's reaction, his young face was taut, his amber eyes focused on the client's apartment, "they're supposed to be neutral. You know, the whole adage that Death doesn't discriminate, it takes all lives. The way I figure it, this doesn't seem all that...neutral. Seems kind of like maybe little Deathboy here has gone off script, should I be calling your manager?" The kid snorted and glanced at him, those pale lips twisting in a way that made Yellow go quiet.

"Yea, sure, let me just get you Auntie Fate's number," he quipped and rolled his eyes, "I am neutral, I've taken all the tests and they all say I fall right into the chaotic neutral morality so don't get those panties in a bunch Pool, I'm on script," he paused and glanced at Wade again, something sad and old in his eyes, "this is just a special situation that required a specialist. You don't need to worry, I mean, isn't this guy small peanuts for you? Do you really care what happens to him?" Wade considered him for a second before shrugging.

"No, not really, he's just another boring client, nothing special about him," he leaned back, his hands gripping the edge of the ledge behind him, "but I do have a reputation to maintain and letting my client die on my watch well, that's not good for business."

"Everybody dies Wade, why don't you just drop this client? I mean, what's he paying you? It can't be worth the amount of trouble it'll be if you don't leave it alone," he put the pipe to his lips again and lit it, drawing in a deep inhale of smoke.

"Five mil," Wade sat up and held out a gloved hand, surprised when he put the heavy stone pipe and lighter in his hand, "but he still owes me three for when I complete the job," he said and put the pipe up to his mask covered mouth and lit it. He didn't get all the smoke, but it was enough and he blew it out.

_[That's some dope shit]_

"Is he important to you?" He asked, taking the pipe back and setting it down between them, "does his life mean something to you?"

"All life is precious," he said in a slightly outraged tone, attempting to mimic the Captain, holding a hand to his heart as if his words had wounded him. He snorted and looked back at the wall of glass.

"How about I give you the three mil and you walk away?" He offered, reaching into his pocket and producing a cheque. Deadpool's non-existent eyebrows rose under the mask.

_{Is he serious right now?}_   
_[Is that actually a cheque for three million dollars?]_

Wade held out his hand and took the folded piece of paper. He opened it up, his mouth dropping as he looked at the six zeros that followed the three. Yep, it is. It was filled out to him and signed by Alexander Bradley.

"Wait, how did you get this?" He looked at the signature.

"His office," he said with a shrug, "you've been paid now, there's no need for you to stick around. Besides, your reputation isn't going to be hurt by this, I mean, you end up killing half of your clients anyway," he said with a smirk.

 _{He does have a point there.}_ Wade shrugged.

"So does death have a name?" He asked, tucking the cheque into a pouch and attempted to change the subject.

"No, but mine is Heru," he picked up his pipe and looked at the large take-out bags, "you going to share those tacos or just let them get soggy?" Wade smiled and handed him a bag.

"Here," he accepted the pipe in exchange, "so Heru, is that like Cher or Bono? Or do you have a last name?" Heru raised an eyebrow at him as he bit into a taco.

"I do," he said around the mouthful, "but it won't help you find out information on me."

"Gasp! Why would you think I would try and find out information about you? That's just creepy dude," dammit, I guess this kid is going to keep playing hard to get.  
 _{Why does it matter? We got our money, let's go see how far we can spread our brains across the subway tracks!}_

"Funny," Heru deadpanned, "it's Keith," he finished his taco and crinkled the wrapper, "Here, I can't eat all of these, I don't have your superhuman hunger," he smiled and handed the bag of tacos back.

"That's a shame," he mulled over the name, Keith, Heru Keith.

_{Author sure likes to use first names as surnames eh?}_

_[Apparently]_

"Thanks though," he emptied the pipe bowl and tucked it inside his jacket, "I should get in there, I've got work to do," he gestured with his chin at Bradley's.

"Alright," Wade agreed, let's just see how bullet proof he really is, he thought as he grabbed his sleek glock and pressed it into Heru's temple, firing immediately. Heru didn't even flinch, he just turned slowly and looked at him.

_{Oh jeebus have mercy}_

_[I think we should have worn brown panties]_

Wade gulped as he stared into the completely black eyes in front of him. They were so black, so velvety that for a moment, he thought if he looked hard enough he might be able to see galaxies exploding.

"That was kind of rude," Heru sighed and held out a closed hand. Wade slipped his gun back in its holster and held out his own leather clad hand. Heru dropped eight bullets into his palm.

"Uh," he looked at the rounds, seven for a desert eagle and one for the glock 17, "you got me new bullets?"

"The same bullets," he said, getting to his feet and dusting off his little ass.

_[His what now?]_

"I fired these," he said, ignoring White and looking at the new, unused bullets in his hand. 

"Well yea, those are from before you fired them," he said with a lopsided grin, "don't hurt you pretty little head trying to figure it out Pool," he winked and stepped out into the air, vanishing before Wade could say anything.

_[I am so confused]_   
  


**Soul Collected:**  
Judy Smith  
Age 49  
Died June 25, 1998 7:53 AM  
Suicide, carbon monoxide poisoning


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've only just realized that my formatting isn't showing up. Any italics and bold have disappeared, which is unfortunate because Wade and Heru talk to themselves a lot and their voices are in italics. Going forward, I will figure out a way to make it clear when they're talking to themselves (or the reader).

**June 26, 1998** **  
****East 23rd St, New York City** **  
****11:26 PM**

**Heru**

_‘So, what’s next on the dealer’s list?’_ Present asked as Heru sat in the fading sunlight, watching the sun dance off Bradley’s windows from his perch.

_[The girl from the Philippines? You know the one]_

_ <Analyn?> _

“Hmm, maybe, that’s a good idea,” Heru agreed, thinking of the young woman.

_{He was directly responsible for her, he did it with his own hands that time. One of his first right?}_

“Yep,” he confirmed and he mentally reached out, calling her memories forth from the air and gritting his teeth as she settled inside his chest. 

_ <Hey, we were stabbed too! Do you remember when Jason stabbed you?> _

_[That was fun.]_

“It really wasn’t,” he disagreed, wishing Past would leave his human life where it belonged.

_[He only will when you do]_

_‘What was it? Twenty times or something?’_

_ <Forty seven! He _ _really_ _hated you. > _

“Mmm well, he was an impotent asshole with serious daddy issues and he never did pay me for that last session....” he quipped.

_[I’m pretty sure that he didn’t really think he needed to pay a corpse]_

Heru sighed and brushed Analyn’s memories, feeling her desire for justice. He was about to get up when a deadly sharp blade appeared in front of him, the street lights glinting off the tip, and brushed against the nape of his neck.

_‘Oh fuck’_

_ <I really didn’t want to see this!> _

His entire body froze as the blade’s memory assaulted his own. Every slice, every drop of blood spilled raced through his mind's eye. He watched the hundreds of lives the blade had taken, nausea making the bile rise in the back of his throat. He watched as he saw the past of each life, saw their deaths and saw every possible future they could have had, saw them in every reality that they existed, experienced all of their deaths. It only took a couple seconds for him to see it all, but it left his head spinning unpleasantly, so many more voices that were so much louder.

“Let’s see if you can dodge this,” the familiar voice said as he pushed the blade into Heru’s neck, the deadly blade cutting into his bone like butter. He looked up at Deadpool, his eyes still black from the power flooding through him. He opened his mouth to say something but realized the blade was between his vocal cords. Irritated, he grabbed the blade with his hand and pushed it out, not a scratch on his slender neck.

“You know, some people might say it’s kind of rude to shove your sword in their throat,” he pointed out, getting to his feet.

 _‘Phrasing’_

“But…” Deadpool looked at Bea and then at Heru’s throat, “seriously? Not even beheading?”

“To be honest, I thought you would have been a little more creative after I told you I couldn’t be killed,” he shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh as Wade buried both Arthur and Bea in his chest, “dude!” He gritted his teeth as Arthur’s memories poured into his mind and he saw all those lives as well. Angry, he ripped the katanas out of Wade’s hands and threw them to the side.

“Hey!” Wade complained, automatically moving away from him and pulling a gun out. 

_[I’m going to fucking kill him. This is seriously pissing me off.]_

_{Yea, he needs to go, this isn’t going to end well, trust me}_

_‘It’s honestly getting annoying’_

_ <But it’s also kind of fun?> _

Wade walked over to his swords and picked them up gingerly, caressing them, “I’m so sorry babies, was the scary man mean to you?” he cooed, kissing them before sliding them back into their scabbards. _  
_ _‘Scary man?’_

“What part of not living do you not understand? Is it the whole Reaper part that’s throwing you off?” He asked, glaring at him. 

_‘I like his muscles’_

_ <Did you see his soul yesterday? It’s so pretty> _

“Not the time guys,” he hissed in annoyance.

“Aw c’mon sweetcheeks, it’s nothing personal, I may have promised a certain someone proof and I need that pretty little head of yours to give it,” he said, putting his gun away and picking up Bea and Arthur, “I’m so sorry babies, was the scary man mean to you? Did he throw you? My poor babies,” he cooed, kissing each of them before gingerly sliding them back into their sheaths over each shoulder. 

_ <I love that he talks to them> _

“You’ve been paid, why are you still sticking around?” Heru complained.

_‘Maybe he likes us’_

_ <Don’t be stupid, that’s not a possibility. More like he’s been around Spidey lately and he’s working on the whole ‘not letting people be murdered’ thing.> _

“I’m bored,” he said with a shrug, “I mean, I’m _really_ bored and this is literally the only gig I’ve got going on right now.” He didn’t voice the rest of his thoughts, but Heru noticed the flash of white and yellow and knew they had said something. 

“I get that,” he managed a weak smile, knowing all too well just how bad being bored could get. Christ, he still had a day job just to try and deal with the unending existence.

 _‘Legitimately the_ _WORST_ _day job ever, it does not help with the boredom and you’re obviously insane if you think it does’_

Immortality was _not_ a gift by any stretch.

_[Especially when you know you’ll never be at peace.]_

_{Nope, you don’t get to turn the lights off, ever}_

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore them, “Wade, I don’t actually want to hurt you though so how about you let me work and we’ll meet back here in a few hours for chimichangas?” He suggested abruptly.

_{What the fuck are you doing?}_

_ <Are you asking Deadpool on a date??> _

_Don’t be fucking stupid Past._

Wade stared at him with those giant white lenses, blinking slowly, “how about you _don’t_ harass my client and we go for chimichangas now?” he suggested hopefully.

_{Ok, time to put an end to this now}_

“Here,” he reached over and grabbed the set of binoculars attached to his utility belt and waved his hand over it, the veins in his hand temporarily flashing black before he handed it back to him, “you’ll be able to see him in his office,” he explained. Deadpool narrowed his eyes at him.

“His home office doesn’t have windows,” he said as he took the binoculars. Heru quickly let go of them.

“Just fucking look,” he rolled his eyes and waited for Wade to find their target.

“Well isn’t that just nifty,” he said as he held them to his eyes, they could now see through the walls, allowing him to see Bradley sitting at his desk, “does it work, ah no,” he pouted as he tried to see through the neighbour’s wall.

“I’m only allowing you to see him, he’s the one on my list,” he explained, “now, get this through your head Wade. You. Cannot. Stop. Me. It doesn’t matter if you were standing next to him,” he said, reaching in and pulling Analyn out and driving the memories into Bradley’s. He could see him in his mind, the way his body jerked. He watched as the color drained from his face, knowing Wade was seeing it too. His lips trembled and he held up his hands, shaking his head and begging his mother and father not to do this, that it was a trick and that if they let her go with him, she’d never see them again. He was speaking Fillipino, Heru knew Bradley didn’t know the language but Analyn had never forgotten her mother tongue, no matter how hard he had tried to make her. Heru didn’t bother to hide his smile as Bradley burst into tears and crawled under his own desk, Analyn’s memories completely overpowering him. 

“What the actual fuck?” Wade lowered the binoculars and glared at Heru, “what the fuck are you doing to him?!”

“Nothing he doesn’t deserve,” Heru hissed back, shame prickling at the back of his neck as Past screamed _ <Monster! Monster! Monster!> _ , “do you get it now? I don’t need to be anywhere near him, he’s on _my list_. I could be on the other side of the goddamn world and it wouldn’t make a difference.”

“Then why are you lurking around his apartment? Why bother with all this stalker shit?” Wade questioned, looking back at the apartment, no longer able to see Bradley. Heru’s cheeks flushed and he looked away.

_[Because he likes to watch it]_

_{Because he’s nothing without it}_

_‘Because he has to’_

_ <Because otherwise he’ll only ever be a victim> _

It had been a really long time since he had to try and justify himself to anyone. 

_ <That’s why we don’t go home.> _

_‘Ammon never understood.’_

_ <Even Drea had a hard time accepting it.> _

_[They can’t comprehend it. They don’t understand, they aren’t capable of it.]_

“This is my job ‘Pool, I was hoping from one professional to another, I was hoping for a little professional courtesy,” he said quietly, ignoring the cacophony of voices. He nervously glanced at him and chewed the inside of his cheek as Deadpool’s cold eyes looked between him and the apartment. He gave a dramatic sigh and looked at the boxes before nodding.

“Yea, alright Yellow, we’ll try it,” he met Heru’s gaze, “how about this, you do what you need to do and we meet back up for chimichangas, but you have to tell me _why_ this is necessary. I can’t just let you go around torturing people for fun ok? Not in this city anyway, I promised a certain spider that I’d keep an eye on the streets for him. He really wouldn’t approve of me not doing anything to stop it.”

_ <He’s currently friends with Spider-Man? Does that mean we could meet him too?!> _

_‘Don’t be stupid, Spider-Man is_ hero _, besides, that’s not a hand we want to shake.’_

“I can’t,” Heru shook his head, “I can’t tell you why. Reaper/reapee confidentiality,” he said with a sigh, “honestly I wish I could because I know you’d be right there with me cheering me on if you knew. But trust me when I say that this, what I’m doing,” he looked at Bradley and tried not to smile, _ <don’t show him how much we enjoy this. That scares people, remember?> _ , “this is the _only_ justice he’s going to get. We both know that there are a lot of monsters out there who will never see the harsh light of a jury of their peers, who will never see a day behind bars and all their victims will remain silent, their stories untold and unknown. You know that if there are people out there who have the ability to bring even a fraction of justice, it’s their _duty_ to do it. So please, I know you don’t know me from a shit smear but just this one time, take my word for it?” He hadn’t meant to step closer, hadn’t meant to sound so pathetic as he pleaded for Wade to understand and trust him but he found himself staring up into that mask, his chest painfully tight. 

_{I told you to back off. We can’t do this, we need to leave right now!}_

_[Enough trying to get this human to understand, if he hasn’t grasped it yet it isn’t worth trying to explain further.]_

_ <We just want _ someone _to understand, please Death, please let us… > _

~ ~ ~ 

June 26, 1998  
20 East 23rd St, New York City   
11:35 PM

Wade

_{We know exactly what you mean}_ _  
_ _[It makes perfect sense]_

_I know._

Deadpool’s arms were folded tightly against his chest, his eyes searching the delicate face looking up at him, begging him to listen. 

_[Has anyone else noticed the flecks of amber in those chocolatey eyes?]_

_{It hasn’t escaped me, no}_

“Shut up,” he growled at the boxes and stepped back, his arms falling to their sides, “yea, ok, whatever,” he shrugged.

_{Do we still get chimichangas?}_

“Ok?” It came out as such a desperate sigh of relief that Wade looked back at him.

“Yea, geez, I mean if it’s that big of a deal, I guess I could stop trying to kill you for a little while at least,” he said, trying to lighten the mood and Heru’s shoulders relaxed.

_[Is it just me, or does he seem a bit… uptight and intense?]_

_{What gave it away?}_

“Thanks, seriously,” he moved closer to the edge, “I really didn’t want to have to hurt you. Meet back here at,” he looked at his wrist, there wasn’t a watch there, “three AM?”

“Ok,” he agreed as he watched the Reaper vanish.

_{Date night?}_

_[I think it’s funny he keeps saying he doesn’t want to hurt us, he does know about our heal factor right?]_

“Probably,” Wade sighed heavily and sat down on the ledge. So maybe he was enjoying the challenge that Heru had presented. It wasn’t every day he got the chance to try to kill someone who was supposedly invulnerable, well, besides himself anyway. 

_{You should jump}_

_I think it’s time to do our research on the client._

~ ~ ~ 

**June 26, 1998** **  
****Apartment 405, 42 East 22nd Street**

 **Madison Square Park Tower, New York City** **  
****11:36 PM** **  
****Heru**

_{We really shouldn’t do this}_

“Shut up,” Heru hissed as he sat in Bradley’s office chair. The man was still curled up under his desk crying. He spun himself in the massive chair, his knees against his chest as he tried, and failed, to quiet the anxiety flying around his mind. He wasn’t supposed to be spending time with Deadpool, not in this universe, he was supposed to be off limits because of the whole Thanos’ curse but he wasn’t trying to reap his soul. _I can’t get in trouble for just hanging out with him, right?_

_ <It’s just nice to talk to someone else who can sort of understand the whole immortality making you insane thing> _

Besides, it had been a really long time since he actually spent any time talking with someone living and truth be told, he was starting to miss it. 

_‘Fucking disgusting’_

_[Don’t be stupid, you know you can’t.]_

_{It never works out}_

_ <It always ends up hurting so much more after…> _

_But he’s the closest thing to immortal besides us._

_[He will still be reaped and you know he’s not on our list and you know what that means]_

_ <It’ll hurt so much more> _

_‘It hurts now’_

_I’m sick of playing against the computer, I’m tired of only talking to you fuckers._

_[It’s not like you don’t have long-living friends, Ammon is what? How many billion years old?]_

_{Seven point six}_

_[See? If you’re desperate for conversation, go talk to him]_

_You can’t be serious? He’s a lump on a rock and equally dull. At least Wade has a good sense of humor._

Bradley let out a shriek and Heru grinned.

_ <You’re starting to like this too much again. Drea would want us to hang out with him, he wouldn’t want to see you completely stripped of your humanity> _

_[You’re not human, why do you insist on pretending?]_

Heru rubbed his face and looked at the time. It was half past two in the morning. He sat up properly, his legs dropping to the floor as he reached into Bradley’s mind and pulled all the memories out. 

_[Good idea, let him think it’s over]_

_{Everyone enjoys a little reprieve}_

_[It only makes it that much worse when it comes back]_

He watched as Bradley shook his head and looked around him in complete confusion. He had no idea why he was under his desk, only that sense of dread that had been lingering for the past few days. Heru got out of the chair and let it spin for him to see. He chuckled as Bradley scrambled away in fear. He disappeared as he turned, he had time to collect a soul before meeting Wade.

**June 27, 1998** **  
****20 East 23rd St, New York City** **  
****3:08 AM**

**Wade**

_[I don’t think he’s coming]_

_{He was just messing with you, he just wanted you to leave him alone}_

_Did anyone else sense something familiar about him?_

_[What? The smell of death?]_

_{That’s still you dumbass}_

_Nevermind_.

Wade sat on the ledge, his foot crossed over one ankle as he swung his legs and contemplated leaning a little too forward. It’d hurt like a bitch, but the few moments of blissful nothing would be fucking relief. Plus the fall would do that fun stomach flipping thing.

_[Do it]_

He scooched forward a little more so that only his ass was on the ledge, his legs dangling completely and supporting most of his weight on his hands that gripped the edge.

“Please don’t,” Heru’s voice was so sudden, Deadpool nearly slipped off but he managed to fall backwards instead.

“Shit on a cracker, you scared me!” he panted, one hand clutched to his racing heart. He had gotten used to Spider-Man managing to sneak up on him, it would take awhile to get used to this one just appearing beside him.

_[That almost sounds like you think you’re going to be seeing him frequently]_

_{That’s not how this works}_

_[Don’t be so doubtful Yellow, he’s a monster too, we can be friends with monsters, right?]_

_{Monsters don’t have friends}_

“Sorry,” he was saying, carefully avoiding looking at the boxes and Wade was glad his mask hid his blushing face and that Heru at least had the courtesy to pretend that he couldn’t read the boxes.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said with a grin.

“Here,” Heru held out a white paper bag filled with chimichangas, “your chimmies as promised my liege,” he said with a grin that stuttered when their eyes met and he suddenly looked awkward. Wade chuckled and shook his head.

“Thanks Deathboy,” he said, busting into the bag and pulling a chimmie out. He went to pull his mask up and then froze. He hadn’t eaten his tacos in front him earlier and now he was faced with the same problem, again. 

_[Dumbass]_

_{You didn’t really think that one through, did ya?}_

“Right,” his hands lowered into his lap and he started to whistle _Life is a Flower_ while silently praying that Heru wouldn’t notice. 

_[Of course he’s going to notice]_

“I’ve read the comics you know,” he said as he was getting to the chorus and his whistling came to an abrupt halt, “the Deadpool comics. I know about your... situation,” he paused and made a point to look him up and down. Wade narrowed his eyes, suspicious and confused by the complete indifference in his eyes, there wasn’t any disgust or pity or curiosity, just… nothing, except that familiarity Wade couldn’t shake. 

_[Because he’s a monster]_

_I don’t think he is._

“I’m sorry, I know it’s not something you talk about really, I just didn’t want you to miss out on these delicious chimmies and I’m not going to be weird about it,” he paused again, probably realizing he was being weird about it, “I mean, I won’t mention it again after this. I just, whatever,” he shrugged, the flush of pink across his high cheekbones betraying the lifeless expression in his eyes.

“Right,” Wade nodded, not entirely sure how to respond.

_{Don’t do it}_

_[No one wants to see that ugly little bit of face}_

_He either runs or doesn’t_ , he decided and rolled up the littlest amount of mask that was needed in order to eat. It still covered his nose and it was awkward as hell, a bitch to breathe and he got sauce all over himself, but better to look like a pig than to let Heru see what he really looked like. He didn’t say anything, didn’t make any side glances or acknowledge it in any way besides handing Wade a napkin when a glob of salsa dropped from his chin. 

“So you know about the comics?” Wade asked curiously, he had only ever met a couple people who even know the comics existed.

“Mmhmm,” he mumbled as he hastened to swallow a giant mouthful, “yea, I mean, my work, kind of takes me uh, takes me to all kinds of realities including this one and the one where the comics are read,” he explained a little hesitantly, his shoulder did that weird twitch thing again.

“So you’ve read them?” 

_[Oh that’s not good]_

_{Does that mean he knows our whole history?}_

_I hope not._

“A few yea,” he nodded, his entire body freezing momentarily as he tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something else before smiling sadly, “it wasn’t really my thing but, I uh, knew someone who was really into them and he introduced me to your comics. I read a couple of them, I always liked yours best,” he blushed a little again, his face settling into a cold expression once more.

_{So he only knows a little bit, phew}_

_[He still knows what we look like though]_

“You liked mine most?” He knew he was staring, didn’t care though and he didn’t care about what Yellow and White were bitching about, his comics were someone’s favorite? “Really?”

“Yea,” he laughed, frowning at him like he couldn’t believe that Wade didn’t believe him. He didn’t.

“Why?” 

_{He probably pitied you}_

_[Or liked watching you kill people]_

“Because you were real,” he said with a shrug and looked away again, his attention on the half eaten chimichanga, “you weren’t this idealistic moron like Captain America who held an impossible standard for humanity that we all know humanity on a whole isn’t capable of, most of the heroes do that. I get it,” he held up a surrendering hand, “I do. Heroes push us to be better, they give us someone to hold ourselves accountable to, we need them. They’re kind of naive though, and they have to be in order to always bet on the good in people. But I know what it’s like to be surrounded by heroes and to be the only one who acknowledges that things just aren’t that black and white. You get that and I always respected that,” he mumbled his last sentence, shaking his head violently, _“shut up!”_ he hissed over his shoulder. 

_[Damn, it almost sounds like he admires us]_

_{He’s obviously insane}_

_Clearly._ Wade took too large of a bite, shoving an entire chimichanga in his mouth to give himself time to figure out how the hell he was supposed to respond to that. Instead, he looked at him with a food packed grin and let out the loudest fart he could manage. His cheeks twitched as he struggled to maintain his expression, staring at Heru who was staring back, his own unimpressed expression unflinching.

_[Uh, that probably wasn’t the correct response]_

Heru’s left eye twitched, breaking him like glass and he burst out laughing.

“Holy fuck,” he gasped, waving his hand in front of his face and giving Wade the stink eye. He couldn’t help but chuckle too, “fuck I regret feeding you,” he chortled and scrunched up his own garbage.

“So is this what you do all day?” Wade asked as their laughter faded, “sit up on rooftops stalking the people on your list, smoking weed and eating Southwestern American cuisine?” Heru’s mouth twisted into a floppy smile.

“Pretty much,” he pulled out his pipe and a small container and began packing a bowl, “it’s not like pot gets me high, not human, it’s just an old habit that I don’t see any reason to quit,” he explained, lighting the pipe and talking as he exhaled, “I do technically have a day job but it’s even more boring than sitting here, so,” he shrugged, “how do you keep busy?”

“I don’t,” he blurted honestly, gratefully accepting the pipe and taking a hit, “I mean, I try to stay busy, take whatever jobs I can get. There’s always work for a merc, but it’s been slow lately. A lot of the same old shit you know?”

_[I wonder what kind of day job Death has?]_

_{Probably works at McDonalds}_

“That why you were going to jump?” he asked curiously {and bluntly!} , not a drop of pity in his voice, “to curb the boredom?”

_[Was...was that a fucking pun?]_

_{I think it was}_

_[I love it]_

Wade snorted, “just another Thursday night,” he didn’t want to talk about that. It was one thing for people to know he sometimes unalived himself just so he could get a break but to talk about it with a complete stranger? _No thank you._

“Right,” he nodded, picking at a bit of pot that had landed on his jeans, “it’s just that, well, I only mention it because I used to do that too,” he admitted and Wade stared at him, once again unsure of what to say.

“I thought you couldn’t die,” he finally said and Heru smirked.

“For a while I could, sort of. It takes a while to convert a human into a reaper, twenty years on average to flush out the mortality but, and no one knows this so, mum’s the word, but it takes a good hundred years or so before you stop having a physical reaction to injuries,” he paused, his face paling for a moment as he had some kind of internal struggle, his entire body still and tense. Wade didn’t say anything, the boxes oddly quiet and curious to know more about his experience. It wasn’t every day he got to meet another immortal, and it was kind of reassuring to hear he wasn’t the only one who struggled to deal with it. “Anyway,” he cleared his throat and plastered a floppy grin on his face, “sometimes I would just… do whatever, sometimes to test how immortal I really was but mostly just out of boredom,” the rest of his sentence hung in the air between them, not needing to be said because Wade knew what the rest of it was already. _And because sometimes it’s the only fucking relief from the pain_. 

_[He said he used to be able to]_

“You can’t anymore?” 

_{Obviously stupid, you stuffed him with Bea and Arthur earlier and he didn’t even bat an eye}_

“No,” he shook his head, pretending like Wade hadn’t just asked a stupid question, “not for like… a few hundred years now, can’t remember exactly.”

_{A few hundred?}_

“How old are you?” he asked, studying the face in front of him completely untouched by time, not a single line marring that perfectly smooth skin.

_[Again, what?]_

“Uh,” he looked over his shoulder, his lips twitching, “Past says somewhere near six hundred and seventy two... I hadn’t realized,” he swallowed, looking slightly paler and he lit his pipe again, drawing in a deep breath.

_Should I ask him what the fuck he means by Past?_

_[Do you like it when people ask about us?]_

_{I’m pretty sure you don’t}_

_Right_.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, I’m sorry,” Heru said quickly, “I should probably go.” He held his thumb over the bowl, suffocating the embers.

“You don’t have to,” he said with a shrug, the conversation was a lot more serious than he typically liked, but it was also surprisingly comfortable, “and I don’t mind, beats painting the sidewalk with my brains.” Heru grinned and relaxed a little more.

“Do you like Mario Kart?” he abruptly asked Wade who’s brows rose and he grinned.

“Uh, what kind of question is that? Obviously Mario Kart is totally my jam,” he said with a scoff and watched as Heru got to his feet in one smooth almost feline movement. 

_[Was that entirely natural?]_

“Wanna come over and play a few rounds? My place is a bit of a mess but I think there’s some beer in the fridge and I’ve got the game on every system,” he offered, biting on his lip ring as his sentence came to a rushing halt.

_{On every system? Whaaa?}_

“Sure,” he got to his feet, his gaze darting to his mouth and the little black gemstone in the middle of his bottom lip. 

**Soul Collected:** **  
**Abegail Weston  
Age 32  
Died June 27, 1998 3:01 AM  
Murdered, GSW   
  



	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after glancing at the chapters, I realized that there were MASSIVE formatting issues. Like, entire paragraphs were missing. I'm sorry. I'm new to the site and am still getting familiar with it. I've gone back and fixed everything, so for the few readers who have read this, it's possible that it's not as bad as you thought lol

###  Chapter Five

**June 27, 1998** **  
** **148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **4:28 AM**

**Heru**

_ {What are you doing??} _

_ ‘We’re going to go play Mario Kart, duh, this fucking guy’ _

_ <It’s going to be great!> _

_ {Until it’s not! Helloooo? Can we get a little back up here, Big D?} _

_ [Stupid, fucking, morons.] _

_ {Someone gets it} _

_ “Shut up”,  _ Heru whispered as he slid the key in his apartment door and turned the wrong way but still tried to walk forward. Blushing furiously, he turned it the proper way and stumbled inside, stepping aside to let the giant mercenary in. He was only five foot seven himself but next to Deadpool he looked and felt frighteningly small since he was also on the smaller end of the athletic side of things. He knew Wade Wilson was tall and the graphic novels always made it clear that he was ripped but he had expected him to be built more like Andrew in reality,  _ <aka Ares> ‘this is a reference to the author’s original novel, Merely Mortal, check it out on fiction.net’ _ , and more athletic and less… bull in a china shop.

“Welcome to my layer of evil,” he greeted, his monotone voice forgetting to change tones as he smiled and gestured at the nearly empty bachelor apartment. There was a couch in the middle of the room with a coffee table that was buried under a number of bongs, newspapers, ashtrays, and papers, an overflowing laundry hamper a few feet away. A large fifty inch flatscreen TV was across from the couch a few feet back, on the floor. In front of it was a dozen different gaming consoles. Wade whistled appreciatively at the TV and collection and looked around, noting the absence of a bed. The only other piece of furniture was the table in the tiny kitchenette that had an impressive looking desktop, keyboard, mouse and headset. 

“Bit of a gamer geek?” Wade said, it was more of a statement than a question and flopped down on the couch, his legs dangling over the armrest. Heru was temporarily frozen in place, Past screaming so blindingly loud that it took him a moment to actually hear the question, “what are all these systems?” Heru glanced over to see Wade stretching across the floor to examine the various systems that hadn’t come out yet.

“Yea, I am,” he closed the door and tossed his keys on the counter and went to the fridge, hoping there was beer.

_ ‘I’m pretty sure we don’t keep beer around’ _

_ <We never liked it, it was always Andrew’s drink> _

_ {Probably have rum though} _

There was a bottle of Kraken in the freezer, the label iced over. 

“It passes the time, and uh, those are game systems that will come out in the next twenty years,”  _ Is that right? Twenty years? _ He paused as he stared at the freezer, trying to remember exactly what years the systems came out.

_ ‘It’s 1998,’  _ Present helpfully provided.

“Will come out?” Wade looked at him with one white lens squinting, in suspicion or curiosity, he wasn’t sure which.

“Spoilers,” Heru said, hastening over when he noticed Deadpool had lost interest in the electronics and was eyeing some of the papers on the coffee table. He had left out his papers on Bradley. He quickly snatched them up, making a spot to set the bottle down and muttering apologies for the mess.

“Don’t sweat it brown eyes,” he twisted round so he was sitting upright and grabbed the bottle, “ _ If ya like pina coladas!”  _ Wade burst into song,  _ “and gettin’ caught in the rain!” _ Heru grinned and rolled his eyes, going back to the kitchen to deposit the papers and look for cups and now mixers because he was craving a pina colada.

_ ‘Is… is this… what is this?’ _

_ [Ew, it’s a feeling] _

_ {It feels weird} _

_ <We used to feel this all the time> _

Heru pretended like he could ignore the voices and sang along with Wade, surprising the merc who continued to sing as Heru managed to make them a blender full of pina coladas. He brought it over and stuck two McDonald’s straws in it. When he spotted Wade looking at him with a weird expression he grinned,

“It’s not a milkshake but I think it works?” he said teasingly and was rewarded by that comic magic and knew Wade was blushing, a stupid grin plastered to his face.

“You’re just so thoughtful muffin,” he quipped back, accepting the N64 controller. Heru figured going with a system that Wade had played was only fair.

“I’ve held the Mario Kart championships for the past six hundred years, mind you, I’ve only had the computer to play against so it’s totally possible I don’t actually deserve it anymore,” he said in one long rush of a sentence, breathing in as he sucked down a stomach full of pina colada. Wade laughed and leaned over, holding his mask up just enough that he could get the straw in his mouth. 

_ ‘Don’t stand so close to me!’ _ Present burst out into song the moment Wade had moved in.

_ {We are so not supposed to be doing this} _

_ <The rules were made to be broken! We've never paid attention to them.> _

_ [Except in this case, you really should. You know you're going to regret this.] _

_ {Supposed to let go of our human life, remember?} _

“Be prepared to get your ass owned,” Wade purred as they selected their characters and Heru choked on the icy drink. He put the blender down on the table and scooched into the opposite corner of the couch from Wade, stretching his legs out on the space between them.

“Oh, you have no idea what you’re getting into ‘Pool,” Heru pured right back.

~ ~ ~

**June 27, 1998** **  
** **148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **4:36 AM**

**Wade**

_ {Did he just say they’d come out in the next twenty years?} _ _   
_ _ [Is he from the future?] _

“Will come out?” Wade let the boxes discuss the possibilities of time travel, something else had caught his attention. He quickly glanced back at Heru who was staring into the freezer,  _ [he’s doing that frozen thing again] _ , and leaned forward, pretending to look at the large white box with an X on it but actually he was attempting to read the sticky note stuck to a picture. ‘ _ A.B. ‘86, sold 150, made a billion $’  _ was scrawled across the neon green paper in chicken scratch that gave Wade's own scrawl a run for his money. 

“Spoilers,” Heru said, stepping between Wade and the coffee table, one hand deftly gathering all the papers before Wade could see anything else. He repeatedly apologized for the mess which compared with his own place, this was a palace… if not a little empty.

_ {Busted} _

_ I'll try to sneak a peek later _ , his gaze followed Heru,  _ I'm not distracted by his ass, nope, not at all. _ His eyes followed him as he went back to the kitchen, setting the disheveled stack of papers on the table.

“Don’t sweat it brown eyes,” he sat up and grabbed the bottle of alcohol, “ _ If you like pina coladas!” _ he sang, (completely unaware that it was out loud). He didn’t recognize the label (and Wade knew his alcohol) and looked at the bottled date,  _ 03/19/2018 _ before Heru stole the bottle back, the noise of the blender nearly drowned out his singing. He just sang louder.

_ [So, time traveller confirmed] _

_ {I have so many follow up questions} _

He was about to point out the date when Heru’s startling soft but delightful voice joined him in the chorus  _ [When did we start singing that out loud?] _ and dropped two McDonalds straws into the blender, clearly not bothering with the necessities of separate glasses and smirked slyly.

“It’s not a milkshake, but it works,” he said with a smile that played across half his mouth  _ {was that a date reference?}  _ and Wade momentarily forgot what he had wanted to say, his attention entirely on the way Heru’s mouth moved. Realizing he was staring, he grinned and leaned back so that Heru could get between him and the table without touching him.

_ [Don’t think we haven’t noticed] _

“Aw, you’re so thoughtful muffin,” he cooed, accepting the controller he was handed.

_ {This is better than a gun} _

_ [Blasphemy!] _

“...I don’t actually deserve it anymore,” Heru finished his long winded sentence before sucking up a surprisingly large amount of drink. Wade watched him, glad his mask could hide whatever expression was on his face that was somewhere between inappropriately and very obviously checking him out and curious. He grinned and leaned in, lifted his mask at the corner so he could grab the straw with his lips,

“Be prepared to get your ass owned,” he purred before taking a sip. He was used to people flinching when he got close so he didn’t noticeably react when Heru froze the moment Wade had gotten within his personal space. 

_ [I thought we were flirting?] _

_ {All talk, no touching!} _

_ Germaphobe? _ He thought hopefully. Heru sat down in the opposite corner, his slender legs stretched out in front of him but he was so short that they were still a good thirty centimeters away from touching him on the large couch.

_ [Unlikely] _

"So, time traveller?" Wade asked, slurping down more of the delicious pina colada.

_ {This tastes like he's been a bartender} _

_ [If he's as old as he says, he’s probs done most things] _

"Sort of, I guess from your point of view, that's what it would look like," he replied thoughtfully, his head tilting as he listened to something, "I know guys, it's hard to explain to a linear person, I forget what it's like," he glanced at Wade nervously, "we exist outside of time and space."

"We?" He threw a red shell, grinning mischievously as it hit Herus' character.

"Reapers," he answered, he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, the black gem catching on his bottom teeth.

_ {Damn, that's adorable} _

"So you can travel in time?" 

_ [That's fucking cool] _

_ {Wonder if he could undo this fugly mug} _

_ I don't think that's how time travel works. _

"Not really travel, I exist in every point of time and space and just choose when to focus my consciousness into this form, like now" he attempted to explain, his eyes locked on the screen as he overtook Wade's kart, a distant expression creasing the corners of his mouth into a frown. They were quiet for a few moments, both concentrating on the colorful pixels in front of them.

"You're gonna pay for that bub!" He threw a green shell, it missed and rebounded and hit himself, "fuck." Heru grinned.

"Too slow old man!" Heru whooped as he crossed the finish line and jumped to his feet. Wade's mouth fell open as he started a victory dance that had Yellow sputtering and White asking if that was seriously a skull and crossbones belly button ring??

_ Don't forget those hips _ .

He looked up to see Heru smiling that same floppy grin, his golden eyes glinting suggestively, and very much aware that he had been staring. 

"Sit that tight ass back down, I demand a rematch!" He shouted, aiming a kick at said tight ass, slightly disappointed when he moved before his foot made contact. 

_ [I bet it's super perky] _

"Alright, alright, cool your jets," he laughed and grabbed the blender and took another giant drink.

"You should slow down, that little frame of yours doesn't look like it can hold much alcohol,"  _ and judging by the taste of it, you poured half the bottle into it. _

"Can't get drunk silly," he said, a slightly frosty edge to his voice.

_ [Damn, can't get drunk or high?] _

_ {Also can't unalive himself?} _

_ The reaper gig doesn't sound like fun. _

"Not even a buzz??" He whistled and took the blender from him, sucking back several shots, making a face when the brain freeze kicked in.

"Not even a tingle," he sighed and tossed the controller beside him and grabbed one of the bongs on the table. Wade wrinkled his nose at the thing,  _ {looks like it's growing its own ecosystem} shudder. _ He flicked it and Wade's eyebrows would have disappeared in his hair line… if he had eyebrows… or hair.

"Are you magic?" he whispered with pretend awe, it wasn't like he hadn't seen magic before, but it was always pretty cool.

"No," he laughed, "just… pulled it back from before it was used, like the bullets. Only way that any of my shit still exists, all this stuff would have fallen apart ages ago, they don’t make shit like they used," he said with a shrug and took a hit from the bong before passing it to Wade, "you can't get drunk or high right? The whole heal factor, yea?"

"I can get drunk, it just takes a shit load of booze," he replied and took a rip off the mermaid shaped bong, the mouthpiece sticking out of her flaming red hair. Weed never gave him much of a buzz but sometimes, if it was really strong shit, it helped with the chronic pain from the cancer.

"Well, in that case, more?” Heru asked as Deadpool slurped down the last of the pina colada. The sun was beginning to rise and the light was dancing off the surrounding glass and through the tattered curtains of the dingy apartment. 

“Mmm,” he handed the blender back, not feeling the alcohol but enjoying the view as Heru slipped between him and the table, his dark hair falling in his eyes as he winked down at Wade before disappearing behind the couch.

_ {Jeebus} _

_ [Mmm my dick feels all tingly] _

_ That’s our phone vibrating in our pocket _ . Wade dug into the way too tight pocket and pulled out the buzzing phone. It was a text from Weasel. He had called him earlier, telling him he had finished up with the client but wanted to look into him now, something was off about the guy. If Heru wouldn’t tell him what this guy had done that was so horrible Death itself had to send in a torturer, he was going to find out himself. So had done something productive for once and had set the Weasel on him. He would get him some kind of information, even if it was just a single word, he’d help him get started. 

_ From Weas: _

_ Call me ASAP _

_ {Must be serious} _

“Hey sweet ass,” Wade said, getting to his feet and glancing over to see Heru whispering to himself and couldn’t help but smile,  _ [he’s cute when he does that, did anyone else notice that?] _ , “I gotta make a quick call, I’m just going to step outside,” he walked over to the window and pried it open. 

“Alright,” Heru called over his shoulder before starting the blender.

_ {I’m honestly surprised he has a blender} _

“Weasel,” Wade said as he picked up, he closed the window with enough room for his fingers and stood out on the fire escape.

“Wade, I’m going to kill you for getting me involved in this!” Weasel’s outraged voice nearly broke his ear drum.

_ [Wuh oh] _

“Involved in what?” he balked in confusion, what the hell was so bad that was freaking out Weasel? He looked through the window, watching as Heru danced and laughed, still talking to himself as he continued mixing the pina coladas. 

“Shit Wade, this is some serious mother fucking shit,” he growled, making Wade’s heart start to race with increasing anxiety.

“Calm down Weas, talk to me, what did you find out?” he coaxed, trying to get the bartender to talk, “what are we talking about? Drugs? Weapons?”

“Fuck, it’s everything Wade but mostly,” he paused and Wade could just picture him nervously looking over his shoulder before saying in a low voice, “human trafficking but Wade, if what I’m hearing has any grains of truth, this goes up to the top.”

“The top? Like top mob bosses or tippity top like the government?” he asked, eyes narrowing. 

“Tippity top,” he whispered and Wade let out a sharp sigh.

“Fuck,” that wasn’t good. Wade gripped the back of his mask, pulling at it nervously as he paced the tiny fire escape. Ok, it was more like he walked in a two step circle until he started to get dizzy. 

“I did find something solid though,” Weasel said and interrupted his panic, “possibly a witness, Abeg-”

“Shut the fuck up Weas!” Wade hissed, grabbing the back of his head again and groaning, “Christ Weas if that’s a possible witness don’t you dare say the name over the phone. If this is as serious as you’re saying it is, they probably know someone’s been sniffing around and we might end up tipping them off to them!” 

“Shit, you’re right,” he mumbled, “come by tonight, I’ll fill you in on everything.”

“Yea, sounds good,” he ended the call, tucking the little Nokia back in his pocket before climbing back in through the window.

“Everything ok?” Heru asked from his seat on the couch, his legs were on the coffee table, the blender of pina colada beside his ankles. 

“Yea, just some work stuff,” he waved off.

_ {We should go find out what Weasel knows now.} _

_ [I have a bad feeling about this] _

Wade eyed the papers on the table before sitting back down on the couch and putting his feet up next to Heru’s, “alright, I’m definitely going to kick your ass this round,” he jeered, drinking enough of the sugary coconut flavored alcohol he seriously questioned if it was possible for brain freeze to unalive him.

_ {That’s a new one, we should try that guys} _

“Pfft,” Heru scoffed, “you wish you could do something to my ass and it isn’t kicking it,” he purred in such a cruel tease and Wade gaped at him. 

_ [Filthy flirt] _

_ {He looks like the bird who swallowed the canary} _

“I have a feeling you’re going to be bad for my health,” Wade speculated, winking at Heru before trying to focus on the game but all he could think about was Abegail, if that was her name. He thought it was, that’s what it had sounded like before he’d cut Weasel off. What if they had noticed someone asking around? If it really went all the way up the government, then that would mean it was likely there were spies everywhere and Wade had a feeling it was even worse than Weasel thought. He looked over at the Reaper next to him, his disheveled black hair stuck out in every direction, the three inch mohawk clearly hadn’t been styled any time recently but he seemed to have a habit of running his hands through it and pulling it to the right slightly, making it stick up. He could see where he had most recently gripped it, right in the front, a few strands falling across his forehead. 

_ [Who knew Death was such a disaster?] _

  
  
**June 27, 1998** **  
** **148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **6:26 AM**

**Heru**

_ <Something’s up with him> _ Past pointed out and Heru stole a side glance at the merc stretched out on the other side of the couch. Since returning from his phone call, he had been quieter than what Heru thought was usual. Most noticeable was the tension that he had noticed slowly easing since their chimichangas had started to come back and his knee anxiously bounced up and down. 

_ {He’s worrying about something} _

_ ‘It’s six thirty in the morning’ _

“So?” Heru whispered as he managed to out maneuver Wade’s kart and get past him. It had been awhile since he’d played the N64 and apparently Wade was a secret Mario Kart god. 

_ <It is so nice to play against another person!> _

_ ‘So Wade is human, he needs to sleep moron’ _

_ <Oh yea> _

_ {I think he’s tired} _

Heru glanced over at him again to see him attempting to stifle a yawn.

“Shit,” he paused the game, “I hadn’t realized it was so late,” he explained when Deadpool looked over at him, he could see a small smile, shifting the mask slightly, “you’re probably exhausted.”

“Gettin’ there sweetums,” he yawned again and stretched, his arms reaching high above his head as his legs nearly took out the table, “I ain’t as young as I look.”

_ {He’s probably also in quite a bit of pain} _

“I’m so sorry,” he scrambled up and turned the system off.

“Hey!” Wade complained, sitting up and frowning at him, “we were right in the middle of a round and I was winning,” he pouted and Heru grinned over his shoulder, wrapping up the controllers.

“Sorry, but there was no way you were going to win that round, I did you a favor,” he told him, resisting the urge to pat his head as he grabbed the empty blender off the table. He nearly tripped over one of Wade’s legs and there was a moment of utter panic as he stumbled away.

“I suppose I should get going,” Wade yawned and got to his feet, scratching at his stomach and walking over to the kitchen table. Heru put the blender in the sink and turned to see Wade trying to sneak a peek at the papers again. 

_ <Little shit> _

_ ‘Tsk, tsk!’ _

_ {Reaper eyes only!} _

Heru cleared his throat and leaned against the counter with one hip, he smiled when Wade looked up, smiling innocently.

“Yea, it’s probably time to go,” Heru agreed, loathing the way his stomach was falling, falling.

_ ‘Hello Darkness, my old friend’ _

_ <Into the abyss we go!> _

“Yea,” Deadpool moved forward and hesitated for a moment beside him, glancing at him for a moment before muttering under his breath and nodded, “right ok, I’m off.”

“Hey, we’re good right?,” Heru reached out, not grabbing him but letting his hand fall before it could make contact, “you’re not going to keep trying to hook me up with Bea and Arthur?” he asked quickly, wanting to make sure that they had actually come to the agreement that Wade was going to let Heru do what he needed to do regarding Bradley. At the same time though, he couldn’t help the stab of disappointment. There wouldn’t be any other reason for Wade to hang around anymore.

Wade chuckled, “yea, we’re good sugar, I’ll leave you to your man,” he said with a wink.

“Thanks,” he said lamely, chewing on his lip ring.

_ <You should ask for his number> _

_ {Don’t be stupid, why would he give us his number?} _

_ [There is literally no reason why he would want to spend more time with us, he’s probably so relieved he gets to finally leave] _

_ ‘I mean, I don’t think he would have come over if he didn’t want to’ _

_ {That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have ulterior motives} _

“Thanks for killing the boredom with me,” Wade mumbled but his mask remained expressionless for once.

“Any time,” he replied honestly, meaning it more than Wade could imagine. There was a flash of yellow and Heru turned away, determined to ignore the boxes. 

“Will you leave it?” Wade was hissing, every other word too quiet for Heru to hear until he groaned loudly and turned back to face him, “so Yellow isn’t going to  _ shut the fuck up _ ,” he growled and glared at the yellow box just to the left, Heru smiled, “unless I um, give you this,” he said and walked the few steps from the front door back to the kitchen table. He pulled out a red crayon from a pouch and grabbed a piece of paper from the stack, writing on the back.

_ ‘Is… is that his phone number?’ _

_ <Holy shit, Drea!> _

“Uh,” Heru’s mouth opened but only a strangled sound escaped. Wade looked up quickly, pausing in writing the digits down.

“I mean, you can toss it or whatever, just would prefer it if you waited until we left before you did….” he stammered awkwardly, finishing writing it down and sliding the paper across to him. Heru picked it up, his fingers grazing the waxed letters before making up his mind.

_ {What do you think you’re doing?} _

“Can I see your phone?” he asked, holding out his hand and biting his lip so aggressively he broke the skin as he tried to silence the raging voices. Wade shrugged and pulled out his phone and handed it to him, Heru carefully took the little black flip phone. 

“In case you want me to kick your ass again,” he explained, smiling slyly at Wade as he saved his contact info and handed it back to him. 

“Alright,” he tucked it away and stood there for a moment before nodding at one of the boxes and turning away, “until next time brown eyes!” he called over his shoulder and left, the door clicking loudly in the silence as it was pulled shut. 

_ {Back to work we go, hi ho, hi ho} _

“Mm,” he hummed before turning and stepping into Bradley’s bedroom. He had a busy day ahead of him.


	6. Chapter Six

**June 27, 1998**

**267 5th Ave, New York City** **  
****10:49 AM**

**Heru**

Heru sat sideways in the comfortable leather tub chair situated in the corner of Bradley’s office, his legs over the arm as he leaned against the other arm, his right hand dangling to the floor as he lazily watched the man at his desk. He’d been with him since Wade had left, having gone straight to his apartment. He’d wrapped his presence around Bradley like static, the hairs on the back of his neck in a constant state of alert, and had been whispering little threats in his ear whenever he got bored. Already, Bradley was on edge, constantly fumbling things and snapping at his secretary. 

_‘Which, isn’t a great feeling, the girl doesn’t deserve that’_

_{We'll send her flowers later}_

The paranoia was beginning to get to the man though and that was exactly what Heru wanted. He continued to toy with him, randomly moving his coffee cup to the other side of his desk but the most fun was getting him to write shit. Heru lifted a hand and turned his wrist as Bradley was signing his name to a bunch of legal documents. He grinned when he saw the color drain from his face and he looked around with wild eyes, a bead of sweat forming along his temple and trailing down.

He had just signed the name Judy Smith. He hastily put the document through his shredder _{that thing gets a lot of work}_ and called for another copy. He took a sip of water and moved onto the next, giving his head a little shake to clear it. 

_Regina Gonzalaz_. Heru chuckled at the absolute look of horror on the man’s face as he angrily threw the next document into the shredder. He was beginning to pant in his anxiety. He looked up at the glass door to his office, ensuring his security guard was still standing outside of it. 

_ <He looks nice and prepped> _

_‘Nurse, scalpel’_

Heru swung his legs down and got to his feet and began wandering around the office. It was massive but of course it was, Bradley hadn’t spent much time climbing the corporate ladder, he’d raced to the top in only a couple years. The brightest star among all the other employees. His office was filled with the highest quality furniture, the latest tech and a bar that would have made the Rat Pack drool. Everything was luxurious and the _very best_. His appreciation for plants had filled this office as well and the lush greens and bright colors of flowers brought a warmth to the room that reminded Heru of a Venus Flytrap. Bradley was nothing but a pretty predator who lured his victims with a false sense of safety. A large ficus stood by the desk, ferns hung in the windows and there was another table of orchids by the bar. Heru ran his fingers across the back of Bradley’s neck, making the man jump and hit his knees painfully on his desk. He looked around him, glaring into the empty space as Heru walked around him, waiting for the man’s eyes to fall on him unknowingly. As his grey eyes landed on him, Heru touched the base of the ficus, watching his face as he watched the plant begin to wither. He drained the life from the roots up, the plant slowly crumbling and shriveling into a slimy rot.

Bradley pushed away from his desk with a sharp intake of breath. Heru grinned and moved to the next plant, drawing the life energy from that one before moving to the next until he had drained all the plants of their life. Bradley scrambled out of his chair and ran to the door.

“Banes!” He shouted, grabbing at his security’s jacket, his face sweaty and his lips trembling. Heru grinned and opened his mouth, letting out a small sigh where the plant’s life energy slipped out and raced back to where it belonged. When Bradley and the officer turned around and came back into the office, the plants were alive and thriving, their verdant leaves full of life. 

“I don’t understand,” Bradley gaped, stepping forward and looking at the plants.

“Sir?” Banes was looking at him questioningly, his stern face pulled into lines of concern for his boss who was clearly rattled. 

“They were all dead,” he said, touching the ficus in disbelief.

“What were sir?” he kept his hands clasped behind his back.

“The plants… I saw them all…” he trailed off, his face setting into a cold anger, “never mind,” he snapped, “that will be all Banes.” 

“Thank you sir,” he acknowledged and left, returning to his post. Heru sighed happily and dropped back into the chair.

 _“Well Bradley,”_ he rumbled happily, _“shall I introduce you to some friends or shall we wait until tonight?”_

_{Let’s wait until tonight}_

_‘Noo, let’s see if we can get him to run screaming from his office!’_

_ <Yes that! But naked!> _

_“Ah, we’ll wait until tonight, there’s no need to rush it, we still have a few weeks together my love,”_ Heru purred, drawing a finger across Bradley’s cheek from afar and grinning happily when he rubbed at the spot. 

**  
June 27, 1998**

**Somewhere in a not very friendly neighbourhood, New York City** **  
****6:50 PM**

**Wade**

Deadpool strode through the dimly lit alley as he made his way to Margaret's, anxiety about Abegail making him jittery.

_{That's not the only reason you're jittery}_

_[He saved his number under Sweetcheeks]_

_I don't want to think about him right now._

_{I disagree, I think we should list all the reasons why he would hate you and is never, ever going to call. I'll start, 1. Hes met you}_

_[Ooh I've got this one! 2, he knows what you look like and jumps away from you like you're contagious because he thinks you're a vile, disgusting piece of shit]_

_Leave me alone._ He adjusted his mask, it was irritating his face, the humidity sure as fuck wasn’t helping either. The moisture was burning his skin and he wanted nothing more than to rip the stupid thing off.

_{Come now, we don't want to give the rats nightmares}_

_[That's animal cruelty]_

It wasn’t like he’d remove it, he knew better than to do that anywhere in public if he could avoid it. He just hated the way the hot weather would make everything so much worse for his skin, his body was already at war with itself, he didn’t need the weather helping it to rip apart his flesh. It really didn’t help that he only got a couple hours of sleep which had only served to amplify his shitty mood. 

_{Somebody’s a grumpy puss}_

_Back off._ The boxes had kept him up most of the day after he left Heru’s. Between the reminders of why a scab like him couldn’t be happy and thinking about what Bradely was responsible for, it had been a pretty restless, nightmare filled two hours of sleep. When he had given Heru his number, he’d seen a couple of the pages on the table. There had been a picture of what Wade had initially thought was a slaughter house but after Yellow and White had painstakingly described every detail of the picture, he knew it hadn’t been. He’d seen some pretty messed up stuff, had been the messed up stuff on more than a few occasions and was, more often than not, the one doing the messed up stuff but that? Nope, that was the kind of shit that people like those behind Weapon X got involved in, the kind of assholes that he’d made it his business to snuff out. He had also seen the initials A.B. on a few other sticky-notes and memos. Wade didn’t think Saint Bradley was being singled out because he was a good flosser.

He pushed open the door to Margaret’s and stepped inside. It was busier than the other night, a number of ruckus groups were being exceptionally loud and obnoxious in the corner and for a moment, Wade considered forgetting everything and having a jolly good night getting shit faced and seeing who would win the pool.

“Wade,” Weasel called, having spotted the merc the minute he’d walked in and was waving him over, “Cryp,” he nudged a sandy haired fellow who was as much a part of the bar as the light fixtures, “watch the bar for me,” he told him and the blurry-eyed man nodded and crawled off his chair to slink behind the bar. He leaned on his elbows and dropped his head in his hands, “come on Wade,” Weasel guided him into the back to where his office was stuffed into a storage closet. It was definitely serious business when he was brought to the back.

“Did you find anything else out?” he asked. He’d done some more of his own digging that afternoon and had called a few contacts and was waiting for a detailed report that would outline every movement Bradley had made in the last two years. He wanted to know where he ate, where he traveled to, what kind of socks he wore, who he voted for and every financial transaction he’d ever made. He needed to know everything.

“A little bit but I didn’t want to dig too much. While you might be the first merc he’s hired directly, there are a lot of webs that connect back to him from a lot of pretty sketchy jobs. Now I couldn’t ask too many questions,” he sat down at his desk and pulled out a thin manila folder, “but here’s everything I could get on that potential witness. Her name is Abigail Weston but she’s had a shit load of aliases. Currently, she’s a third grade teacher in Milton Ontario going by the name Peggy Holland,” he pulled out a picture of a pretty brunette with striking blue eyes, “She was born in Milwaukee and went missing when she was fourteen. Police suspected she ran away after things got ugly with her step father during a fight, that’s the last anyone heard of Abigail Weston, officially anyway. There was a rumor about her showing up in a hotel here in New York a couple years later, she looked strung out and was hanging off the arm of some high roller. No one really looked much into it, figured she was turning tricks for a drug habit she had before she ran or one picked up on the street afterwards. She’d crossed state lines and out of the jurisdiction of the locals and she wasn’t really on the top priority list. So when a woman who looked exactly like her showed up five years later in a magazine as the date of a Spanish diplomat, it was easy to say it wasn’t her,” Weasel shook his head, “poor girl. Anyway, you remember that huge political shit show a few years back in ‘86?” Wade tried to think back but his memory had been Swiss cheese since Weapon X. Not much stuck.

“Was there some kind of murder investigation?” he asked, vaguely remembering there being some weird sex scandal that had involved a murder.

“More like a mass murder,” Weasel pulled several other photos from the folder and laid them out on the desk, one in particular looked disturbingly familiar, “six women were found in the penthouse suite where a well known Spanish diplomat had reportedly been seen visiting. They were all butchered, one of them was even skinned, a suspected mutant. They never solved it, which just goes to show there’s got to be someone pretty powerful pulling some strings if you ask me. But this is where it gets good, there was a woman caught on camera fleeing the scene, completely covered in blood that looked suspiciously like our Abigail Weston. I suspect she left the country and that’s when Bradley lost track of her. I’m not sure what the connection to him is, but he’s the one who put the bounty on her. My border guy was able to help me out, I got her address here,” he handed Wade a sticky note with the address written on it.

“Thanks,” he took the pictures and folder from him, flipping through it, his eyes lingering on the hotel room photo, the same photo that had been in Heru’s kitchen.  
 _{You know if Weasel was able to find her, that probably means Bradley’s going to if he hasn’t already}_

_[You probably led him straight to her]_

_{She’s going to be in danger now because of you}_

_No she’ll be alright, Weasel’s good at what he does, he wouldn’t let that information leak._

_{Don’t be an idiot}_

_[He almost did yesterday on the phone]_

“Shut up,” he hissed at the boxes.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he growled and glared at him, he was used to Wade yelling at things that weren’t there.

“What?” 

“I’m out,” he held up his hands in surrender, shaking his head, “I can’t go digging in this guy’s business Wade, it’s bad for _my_ business,” he warned and Wade let out a slow breath, nodding. He understood completely. If Bradley had a finger in every crime pie, then it meant he had dealings with weapons and that was Weasel’s business. If word got out that he was looking into a Sponsor, which is what he thought Bradley might be, then his contacts would dry up faster than his chapped lips under a blow torch.

“Fair enough,” he said as he stood up, “thanks for looking this far into it, I’m sorry if it gives you any grief, Weas,” he said and meant it. Weasel might be a low-life arms dealer but he was still a friend, or at least as close to a friend as Wade could ever get. He might betray Wade for the right amount but that didn’t mean Wade wanted to see him get hurt. 

“It better not,” he warned and Wade winced. He decided to leave, figuring Weasel might be a little too tempted to spit into any drink he served him and headed for Bradley’s. He would keep up the pretense of protecting him simply for the easy access to his home and to avoid tipping him off that it was him who was investigating him. 

**June 27, 1998** **  
****East 23rd St, New York City** **  
****8:02 PM**

**Heru**

His feet dangled in the air as he sat on the ledge, a joint held between two fingers as he watched the apartment. Bradley was in his office dealing with a phone call,

_‘We all know what that call is about’_

_Mmm_ , Heru frowned and glanced at the living room where Deadpool was leaning against the window, staring out at the skyline. 

_ <I guess he’s not backing off> _

“He never said he was, he just promised to stop trying to kill us,” Heru corrected, he knew Deadpool wasn’t going to leave it alone, he couldn’t. Heru had turned him onto a psychopath and Wade wasn’t the kind of man to let that go. 

_{The method is still in flux}_ Future pointed out, Bradley’s cause of death was the one of the very few unfixed points surrounding him now. Heru took the last drag and flicked the butt into the air, turning his focus back to his prey. He had finished the phone call and was going through a file. He knew he was crossing names out and Heru’s breath shook as he sighed. He only had a few minutes before he needed to leave but it was enough time. He waited as Bradley locked the file in his desk drawer _ <I guess he got that fixed> _ and went out into the living room. Wade turned away from the window and the two started to talk. He didn’t know what about, he didn’t care.

Heru let Future fill his mind, its voice and knowledge nearly pulling him out of the present but he reached out, his mind touching Bradley’s. 

It licked and lapped at the skin, the flames searing flesh and bone and Bradley screamed, his hands pawing at his body in a wild panic. Heru gritted his teeth, his anger as hot as the blue and red flames that would consume them. He watched as the man fell to the floor, rolling and screaming madly as imaginary fire consumed him. Wade was completely at a loss, standing next to him helplessly before turning back to the window and looking up at the building Heru sat on. 

He couldn’t resist the temptation and waved merrily before pulling out of Bradley’s mind and vanishing. He had work to do.

 **June 27, 1998** **  
****Apartment 405** **  
****Madison Square Park Tower, New York City** **  
****9:00 PM**

**Wade**

He had heard that kind of scream from people who were experiencing the most excruciating pain imaginable, he’d made those kinds of screams himself far too often, had made people scream like that several times but it still made his skin crawl. It was incredibly unsettling watching Bradley writhe on the floor, screaming at an imagined pain but there was nothing he could do.

_{Would you have done anything if there was?}_

_Probably not_ , it wasn’t like he got off on Bradley being in pain but he cared about him as much as he cared about who would win The Challenge, that is to say, not at all. He’d seen Heru up on the roof, watching and doing whatever it was that he did that made Bradley suffer. He’d waved. Now Bradley was in the shower and Wade suspected he was attempting to calm himself down, and probably to wash off the piss. Whatever had been happening had abruptly ended when Heru had vanished and Bradley had sat up, shaky and weak but insisting nothing had just happened and that he was fine. He had stormed off to the shower, leaving Wade the perfect opportunity to snoop. 

Humming along to _One More Time_ by Britney Spears, he went through the desk drawers, looking for anything of importance. 

_{Bingo}_ Yellow said as he grabbed the handle to the locked drawer. Glancing at the door, he hesitated, the sound of water still running encouraging him forward. He pulled out his lock picking set and in a few seconds, the drawer popped open. 

_You guys keep a lookout_ , he whispered to the boxes and pulled out the top file. It was filled with documents pertaining to a shipment of clothing donation for a local charity that worked with runaways. 

_[Interesting]_

_{That’s odd, he’s ordered it to be sent back}_

_[Correction, he's ordered it to be destroyed]_

Wade frowned, a red stamp saying cancelled across the papers. He flipped through the sheets of paper and stopped at a long list of names. The file underneath was filled with forged identities, a couple hundred in total. _Well that’s suspicious_ , Wade thought before taking out his cell phone and snapping pictures of every document he could find. He quickly tucked them back in the drawer and locked it. Heading back into the living room, he flopped down on the couch, the sound of the shower stopping as he grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. It was set to a news station, a red strip with text scrolled across the top: _Breaking News: An explosion at the docks has killed 8, injured 15._

“Reports of injuries are still coming in,” the news anchor was saying, “and the cause of the explosion is still unknown as firefighters are working hard to put out the flames before it spreads,” they cut to the scene where four firetrucks had gathered, streams of water evaporating as it hit the dancing flames. The helicopter circled the scene, carefully avoiding the billowing clouds of smoke. Wade frowned and squinted at the screen.

_[That’s the pier that shipment came into]_

“Mr. Wilson,” Bradley’s voice startled the merc and he looked over to see the billionaire standing in the doorway, his fluffy grey housecoat tied tightly around his thick waist. Wade turned the TV off, “I would like to discuss something with you,” he said as he went to the bar and made himself a drink.

“Sure boss! You can tell me anything, you know. Do you have a crush on a boy?” he quipped, leaning forward and cupping his cheeks in his hands, his elbows planted on his crossed legs. Bradley glared at him but ignored him.

“I would like an update on your progress in regards to identifying this stalker,” he said, sitting down in the lazy-boy, “you promised me proof you’d take care of it yesterday and yet,” he spread an arm out, gesturing to the empty room, “I have yet to see any signs of it.”

_{Shit sticks}_

“It’s a funny story,” he said, thinking quickly, “I still haven’t found any proof that there _is_ a stalker,” Bradley nodded, he seemed to have expected his lack of success {rude}, “no one’s been following you, there’s no sign of you being bugged, no security has actually been breached and well, besides your uh… episodes and the weird lipstick thing, there hasn’t been any indication that anyone is following you.”

“I don’t blame you for your failure,” he said kindly, “I suspect we’re dealing with a mutant who has some… telepathic and invisibility abilities, possibly telekinesis too,” he explained.

_[Gotta give him props for not being a total moron]_

_{No one gets this high up in the crime world being an idiot, he’s hella smart}_

_[And yet, so very off]_

“A mutant?” Wade whistled, feigning ignorance and nodding, “yea that would make sense. I was starting to think this was a little too X-Files-y.”

“I want him dead,” he stated boldly, his gaze locked on Wade over the rim of his glass as he sipped the amber liquid, “I don’t have time for this nonsense and I’ve just about had enough of these games. I will not let this project be jeopardized. If you want your money, you’re going to bring me this mutant’s head on a platter, is that understood?”  
 _  
{No one tell him we already cashed the cheque!} _

**Souls Collected:** **  
****283  
** Ages 11 months-73 years old   
Died June 27, 1990 8:05 PM   
Asphyxiation, fire 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note to say... thanks if you're reading this. Hopefully you're enjoying it. Honestly, I'm mostly writing this for myself to flush out details about reapers. Heru's been a character I've been working on for the past ten years, slowly flushing out his personality and how he became a reaper. But everything I've written with him takes place while he's alive or just after he becomes a full reaper, I've never written him this far.   
> Just some factoids for any curious individuals:  
> Heru was born in 1990, grew on Skid Row LA until he was adopted at age 14. He died his last death at age 22 (thus freezing his aging) and left his mortal life in 2034 at age 44.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: Had to remove the parts about him having met Lady Death. Fucking timelines are all over the place and I got my information mixed up. Deadpool doesn't meet Lady Death until 2001, he isn't cursed by Thanos until then either--but he still believes he can't die (because nothings worked so far) and Heru knows that he will be cursed. Just had to clear that up. I'll try not to add anymore notes.

###  **June 30, 1998  
** **517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **3:58 PM**

**Wade**

Wade’s jaw hurt from grinding his teeth as he looked at the pictures of burned bodies. The news said it had been a group of illegal immigrants. I.C.E. was working together with the F.B.I. to try and find out how the two hundred plus refugees had gotten onto the cargo ship and what had caused the explosion. There were rumors of traces of C4, but Wade had the fire marshal's report in front of him and there was nothing about foul play. It had been ruled an accident, caused by an oil leak and a cigarette butt that hadn’t been put out, however, he figured the documents wouldn’t reflect the truth. He sat on the worn and blood stained couch in his living room, the floor littered with papers and pictures that to anyone else would have just looked like a scattered mess but Wade could see the patterns. 

_ [Definitely human trafficking] _

_ {Oh yea, this guy is guiltier than Mussolini} _

He had thrown up when he’d gone to the site. It took a lot to make his stomach turn these days but the sight of the bodies would be something he’d have nightmares about for the rest of his very long life. He could still see the bodies of three children clinging to a larger corpse, their flesh blackened to the bone as they had been roasted together. 

_ Oh the things I’m going to do to this man _ , he growled. He’d spent the last couple of days digging up everything he could find in connection to Bradley. His contacts had gotten back to him with very little, all of them more afraid of Bradley than Deadpool, which was saying a lot. Trying to find dirt on him was like trying to get water to stick to plastic. It was beyond infuriating and if he was honest with himself, which he rarely liked to be, he had had an easier time getting information on Weapon X. He’d found a couple sources though, a few loose screws in the operation that when plied with the right kind of pressure  _ [that would be torture kids] _ had given up a few bread crumbs. He’d tried to not kill them but the truth was that if he’d left anyone alive, they would have just told their bosses what they’d told him and his leads would dry up. They had signed up to participate in drugs, weapons and human trafficking, they had to live with the consequences… or not so much as live as it turned out. 

He checked the time, he needed to leave in the next few minutes if he was going to get back in a reasonable time. He told Bradley that he’d be watching him tonight from outside the apartment, hunting down the mutant so he shouldn’t expect to see him. In reality he was going to Milton to find Abegail and move her somewhere safer. He knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop Heru so why bother wasting his time. With a grunt, he got up. He grabbed his suit and packed it in his hockey bag along with Bea and Arthur, his stuffed unicorn, Bernadette and another dozen weapons. He grabbed the second hot pink duffel filled with ammo and headed out. It was nearly an eight hour drive but it would be easier to get across with all his metallic friends than it would be trying to get through the airport security with them. He had a few friends that worked at the Rainbow bridge and they had promised to get him across under the radar. He grabbed his car keys and headed out, his cell phone buzzing as he locked the door. He pulled it out and flipped it open, there was a new text from Sweetcheeks.+++++++++

_ From: Sweetcheeks _

_ Hey, you workin? _

_ [Oh my god, he actually messaged!]  _ Wade’s heart had stopped and then jump started to a hundred and twenty beats a minute when he saw the message. He hadn’t heard from Heru since their night of Mario Kart. He figured that was it, he hadn’t honestly expected him to message. He thought he might see him a couple more times until Bradley kicked it  _ {or we kicked it for him} _ , but he didn’t think he’d actually talk to him. He knew Heru had only pretended to be friendly in order to get Wade to back off and let him work. So he had.

_ To: Sweetcheeks _

_ Just about to go see some Canucks. How you been brown eyes? _

He hit send and headed down to the parking garage where he stored “his” car. He rarely drove, everyone knew driving in the city was pointless, but he kept the car for the kinds of situations that required road trips. His phone buzzed before he made it to the elevator and he smiled from his mask. He was in civvies, but he never left his apartment without his mask on anymore. He had grown tired of the staring a really long time ago.

_ From Sweetcheeks _

_ Sorry I haven’t texted sooner, it’s been a busy couple days. Been thinking about your ass and how I’d like to beat it again… in Mario Kart I mean. _

_ {Oh nelly} _

_ [I bet he’s been busy, Bradley’s been busy giving him plenty of souls to reap] _

_ To Sweetcheeks _ _   
_ _ Damn girl, you’re going to give me a stiffy if you keep talking like that. Wish I wasn’t going to be out of town or we could get together _

He sent the reply and got out of the elevator and headed to his car. The idea of hanging out, drinking and playing video games with the beautiful reaper was far more enticing than spending the day in the car trying to turn an eight hour drive into a five hour one. 

_  
From Sweetcheeks _

_ Might be a bit forward, but you want company? I have some business to take care of tonight but I’m free until about nine and I’m bored out of my fucking skull.   
  
_

Wade hesitated as he reread the message.  
  


_ To Sweetcheeks _

_ Sure, I’m just getting in my car now, I can pick you up in twenty.  
  
_

_ From Sweetcheeks _

_ What’s the address? I’ll save you the trip.  
  
_

Wade typed in the address and hit send as he approached his sedan. A second later Heru was laying across the hood of his car, a hand on his hip. Wade’s mouth fell open as he looked at him. He was wearing an adorable yellow Care-Bear t-shirt under his usual biker jacket and a tight pair of black pants that were covered in a number of buckles and zippers, topped off by a pair of bright red converse.

“Hey hot stuff,” he greeted with a grin and jumped off, careful not to scratch the paint.

“Hey baby boy,” he said, unable to contain his own grin.

_ [Kiss him] _

_ {Don’t be stupid} _

“It’s a nice thought” he muttered, instead he popped the trunk and dumped his bags.

“So what’s taking you to the Great White North?” Heru asked, opening the passenger door and leaning against the frame as he waited for Wade to get in. 

“Work,” he said. He wasn’t sure how Heru would react to him investigating Bradley. He’d told him he couldn’t tell him what he was up to, but he hadn’t also told him that he couldn’t look into it himself. 

“Ah,” Heru got in the car as Wade sat down and started the engine, “cool beans. What kind of music do you have?” he asked, immediately digging into the giant mess of CDs that littered the floor and dashboard. 

“We’re listening to Wham!” he told him, grinning, “it’s the best road trip music ever, nay, it’s the best music ever,” he rattled happily and Heru groaned.

“Ugh, alright, it’s cool, I know the rules ‘driver picks the music, passenger shuts his pie hole’,” he flashed him a grin and put his feet up on the dash and leaned the seat back, Wade chuckled.

_ {Yea, this is going to be much better} _

_ [I concur] _

_ Me three _ , he pulled out of the parking structure and headed through the traffic to highway NJ-139. 

“So,” Heru started, glancing at him before looking back at the road, “I couldn’t help but notice that you’re still working for Bradley,” he said, he didn’t sound mad, only curious.

“Yea well,” he tugged at the back of his mask, “I figured I might learn a thing or two about the guy,” he answered honestly and looked over to see Heru watching him, those chocolate eyes filled with a sadness that made him almost physically hurt.

“Yea,” he nodded and looked away, resting his head back, “I figured you would end up looking into him,” he turned away to look out the window at the passing buildings. 

“You got a problem with that?” he asked, there was no way in hell he was going to back off.

_ [We’re going to have a problem if he does] _

“No,” he sighed, “of course not,” he smiled back at him before turning away again, “just want you to be careful,” he whispered. 

“Aw don’t worry sweetcheeks, I’m always careful,” he lied and reached out, only stopping himself from patting Heru’s knee at the last second. Heru had frozen, his eyes locked on the road but he hadn’t recoiled this time.

_ [I’m not sure if that’s an improvement] _

Heru snorted and looked over at him, “if you looked up careful in the dictionary, the antonym would be Deadpool,” he scoffed.

_ {He’s got a point} _

“I don’t need to be careful,” he joshed, “you’re not the only one who can’t be killed remember?” Heru smiled warmly at him and shook his head.

“Yea,” he sighed, “oooh this is a good song!” as  _ A Ray of Sunshine _ came on and they both broke into song, grinning like idiots. Wade had to be careful to keep his eyes on the road and not on the man next to him who was dancing in his seat and making a point to eye him during the chorus. 

**June 30, 1998**

**Highway NY-17, just outside Binghamton** **  
** **6:30 PM**

**Heru**

“I’m all out of love! I’m so lost without you baby,” Heru sang at the top of his lungs, his hands clenched to his chest as he bellowed the words, his voice melding with Wade’s voice, “I know you were right for believing for so long.”

“I’m all out of love! I’m so lost without you baby, I can’t be too late to say that I was so wrong,” Wade bawled, continuing to sing the next verse while Heru laughed, his chest burning from the last hour of singing and laughing. Heru had found a CD of love ballads and giving into the peer pressure of Past and Present, he’d put it on. He stole a drink from Wade’s Big Gulp. He’d been repulsed by Wade’s combining of all the flavors of soda, but after a lot of insisting he try it, he’d had and to his annoyance, he’d loved it. Since then, he suspected he regretted convincing him to try it because he had managed to drink half of it. 

“I’m so lost without you,” he joined in, taking over as Wade paused to also take a drink. He’d rolled his mask up over his mouth half an hour ago after nearly hyperventilating after a particularly long note. Heru didn’t mind. He knew Wade thought he was grossed out by his skin, but Deadpool was known to his readers to be insecure about it and he thought everyone was disgusted by him. Not Heru. Nothing could have been further from the truth. He struggled to look at him not because of the cancer raging war across his skin but simply because a Reaper’s vision was very different from a human’s. Because Reapers existed in all points of time and space across all the realities and dimensions, they saw everything happening at once. It would be impossible for a human to comprehend and it was still a cacophony of sensation even for Heru, but he was able to filter it out  _ [thanks to certain voices] ‘cue applause’ _ . It was typically easy to focus on the present in the current reality he was in when looking at people or the things touched by death, especially easier for those not on his list. For the souls on his list, he was already aware of everything about them across realities since he collected their souls from every dimension. It was much harder to not see all of their timelines overlaying his sight when he was looking at one of them. But Deadpool was different. A curse of immortality had been placed on him _{correction: will be placed}_ and in doing so, he had/would become a uniquely fixed point in time, his ability to break the Fourth Wall adding an additional layer of complexity. It was a lot harder to focus on the present when looking at Wade because time was, well to put it simply, royally fucked around him. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, more beautiful than watching galaxies form but it was equally painful as it was breathtaking. It burned like he had stared into the sun for an hour, unblinking, his retinas on fire and forever scarred. It was so against the laws of nature, so horrific and cruel that it sent his senses into overdrive and it fried his brain for a few seconds whenever he looked at him for more than a few minutes. There was the reprieve that he had simply because Wade Winston Wilson was not a name on his list and that meant he at least didn’t automatically see every timeline of his, nor did he automatically see his soul. 

_ {But a simple touch would change that.} _

Heru grabbed a random CD out of the pile and pulled out the ballads when the song had ended, the CD about to restart with track 1. He popped in the next CD and Believe by Cher began to play.

_ <Oh my god I love this song!> _

“I haven’t heard this in  _ years _ ,” Heru raised his arms over his head and began to dance, singing along, his eyes closed. 

_ {This was a great club song when it came out} _

_ ‘What are you talking about? It still is!’ _

Touching someone not on a Reaper’s list would cause an information download, or so that’s what Heru had called it when it had started to happen shortly after his fifteenth birthday and he had touched Andreas. He would see the moment of their death across every time-stream which for most people, wasn’t a nice peaceful death after a long and natural life  _ {do you know just how few people die a peaceful, happy natural death??} _ . The closer he was to the person though, the more he could see about that person. He could see their entire life, every important moment, every tiny, insignificant second; he would know their soul as intimately as his own and that was why he pulled away from the merc beside him. It wasn’t right, as far as he was concerned, he had no business knowing anyone like that without their explicit desire and consent.

“Don’t wanna run,” he sang, arms moving through the air as he danced from the waist up. 

_ <I can’t remember the last time we danced> _

_ ‘It’s definitely been a long ass time’ _

_ [To be fair, it’s kind of just been death death death death, 24/7 lately] _

_ <Did it always feel this good?> _

Heru squealed as the car jerked back into the lane. Wade had let go of the wheel in his overly enthusiastic dancing and it had swerved into oncoming traffic.

“Shit,” Heru panted, gripping the door and middle seat with his nails, “I was hoping to have an afternoon off of reaping Wade, not being the car that kills a dozen people,” he scolded. 

“Sorry cookie,” he chuckled, returning both hands to the wheel and grinning sweetly, “got a little carried away there.”

“All good boo,” he said, rolling his eyes and trying not to stare at his mouth,  _ ‘god when was the last time we kissed someone?’ _ , he looked back out at the road, “so, what kind of work is taking you to,” he looked at the GPS, his stomach falling, “Milton?”

Wade glanced over at him, his grip tightening on the wheel as both boxes flashed rapidly before he spoke, “I think someone might be in danger,” he answered.

“Oh?” Heru started to chew on his lip ring and looked in his lap as he picked nonexistent dirt from his nails.

_ {Oooh I know what’s happening!} _

_ <What? Why are we suddenly drowning?> _

“Yea, see I’ve got this theory that our mutual friend Alexander Bradley is on the Naught List,” he shifted in his seat so he could look at Heru easier, glancing between him and the road as he explained, “and he’s stuck his finger in a whole bunch of shit pies, he’s just been runnin’ around smearing shit...like…  _ everywhere _ . He did some pretty bad things to this chick but she managed to escape, which is great, except I’m pretty sure that he knows where she is.”

_ [Yea because of you, fucktard] _

_ {She’s probably already dead because of you} _ Heru closed his eyes when he saw the flash of boxes, seconds too late, not exactly having enough room to look away in the car since this was a close up and the boxes were right across the windshield.

“What makes you say that?” he asked, opening one eye to check if it was clear, a small sigh escaping when it was.

“Well, I figured if I could find out where she was, then Bradley could,” he answered, trying and failing to maintain his cavalier tone.  _ Fuck _ . Heru licked his lips nervously.

“What’s her name?” he stole a glance at Wade, quickly looking away when he saw those white eyes on him.

“Abegail Weston.”

_ [And there it is] _

_ {And he is 100% going to blame himself} _

Heru swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. His mind flickered, unable to focus as he tried to still his thoughts and come up with something to say. Should he tell him the truth? Was it more cruel to make him find out on his own? 

_ [Another reason you’re not supposed to involve yourself with humans] _

“Truth is I sort of feel responsible for what happens to her,” Wade said when Heru failed to say anything, “I think it might actually be because of me,” he said quietly, his shoulder slumping under the weight of his guilt, “I think I might have put her in danger by looking for her and I have to try and get her somewhere safe before it’s too late.”

_ <Oh bea, it’s already too late> _

“I,” his breath stuttered, “I don’t think it would be your fault if, if it was too late,” he stammered, closing his eyes and looking out his door window.

“Well she’s been safe for the last ten years, if something happens to her now,” he paused, his voice tightening, “it’d be hard to convince me I didn’t lead him straight to her.” Heru saw the flash of yellow out of the corner of his eye and smiled over at him.

“I don’t think you should blame yourself for anything Bradley does,” he told him, “I know you would do anything in the world to keep her safe, if something were to happen to her, it wouldn’t be because of you.” Wade gave him a weak smile, his hand twitching on the wheel.

“Thanks gummy bear, I’m trying,” he reached for the Twizzlers and held up the package, offering some to Heru who grabbed a few strands.

**June 30, 1998**

**Highway NY-17, 2.5 hours from the Canadian border** **  
** **7:15 PM**

**Wade**

“So you said you were working tonight,” Wade said a little while later after they had lapsed into a comfortable silence, both humming along to the music, “does that mean Bradley’s going to get another visit from some ‘friends’”, he added air quotes when he said friends.

“Uh no,” he laughed a little uncomfortably, “I have some, some other business,” he answered.

“Oh well that cleared things up, thanks,” Wade remarked, “phew, here for a minute I was worried you were going to be cryptic,” Heru laughed, the sound music to his ears.

_ {I’m smelling a romantic subplot} _

_ [It’s arguably the main plot, to be honest] _

“I have souls to reap,” he said after a moment of consideration.

“Oooh,” he drawled, making small popping sounds with his lips a few times before saying, “so are they more of Bradley’s victims?” Heru looked over at him, his expression mildly surprised.

_ {Is he surprised that we figured this out?} _

_ [Personally, I’m offended] _

“In a manner of speaking,” he conceded, “not directly but it is because of him that they’re going to die tonight.”

“So that’s what you do?” Wade glanced at him and then back at the road, “you’re not just here to reap Bradley’s soul, but also anyone involved with him?”   
“Yea,” he nodded,  _ [I knew it!] _ , “anyone that dies as a result of his actions or a decision he makes, whether directly or indirectly.”

“So,” he thought for a moment, “if he was like, say, to forget to put the toilet seat back down and a girl came in after him and slipped when she went to sit down and cracked her head open and died, would you reap that soul?” he questioned and Heru’s mouth split into a floppy grin.

“Well,” he laughed, “definitely an indirect way but uh yea, that would be a soul I would reap.”

_ {Imagine how many souls you’re indirectly responsible for} _ _   
_ _ [Oh man, I bet he knows] _

Wade gulped, trying to ignore the boxes, “so, like, do you know everyone I’ve killed?” he questioned, hoping the fear wasn’t as obvious in his voice as it felt. Heru frowned at him and Wade didn’t like being the one who made those lines on his face.

“No,” he answered honestly, “I know some names because they overlap, but no, I don’t know most of the names you’ve killed and definitely not the indirect ones.” Wade frowned, there was something in the way he had shifted and looked away that made him think he wasn’t telling him the full truth.

“But?” he prompted, his suspicions confirmed when Heru sighed.

“If I were to touch you, then I would see it,” he answered quickly, grabbing the CD binder he’d found under the seat and started flipping through it, “how about Styx?”

_ [Holy shit] _

_ {So  _ _ that’s _ _ why he’s so squeamish} _

“Sure,” he croaked, trying desperately not to think about what he meant by ‘see’. 

“Wanna play fuck, marry, kill?” he suggested cheerily, clearly trying to change the subject and Wade gratefully accepted.

“Cher, Donald Trump, Neil Armstrong.”


	8. Chapter Eight

###  Chapter Eight

**June 30, 1998**

**Milton, Ontario** **  
** **9:08 PM**

**Wade**

They arrived in Milton earlier than he had hoped and they had zero issues at the border, his friend having arranged for their car to skip any kind of scan and they were asked minimal questions. It paid to have friends in high places  _ {and guns, guns were also super helpful during persuasion} _ .

“It’s just left up here,” Heru navigated, pointing at the upcoming set of lights. The Reaper had fallen exceptionally quiet a few minutes ago, his expression getting darker. 

_ {Probably still counting how many people you’ve killed} _

_ He doesn’t know, remember? The no touchy rule taken to the extreme. _

_ [Do neither of you guys remember what he said in his text?] _

_ What are you talking about? _

He was getting a little nervous himself, something just didn’t feel right as he pulled up to dimly lit one story house and put the car in park. Heru chewed on his lip, staring at the house like it was the last place on earth he wanted to go.

“You ok sugar plum?” he asked, his hand pausing on the door. Heru blinked and looked at him, he looked like he was about to cry.

“Wade, I’m so sorry,” he hit his head back on the headrest before climbing out of the car. Wade jumped out,

“For what?” he frowned and popped the trunk. They had stopped at a Tim Horton’s so that he could change into his suit, he tucked the car keys in one of his pouches and began putting on his weapons.

“Because I couldn’t tell you,” he said, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

_ {Huh, I have no idea what he’s talking about} _

“Wait,” something was coming back to him, and he glanced at his Lego watch, “didn’t you say you had to work at nine?” 

_ {Oh shit} _

_ [Ding ding ding!] _

“Yea,” he winced, “this isn’t your fault,” he said before vanishing. 

“Fuck sticks!” he slammed the trunk and raced up the garden path, not bothering to knock because he knew what he was going to find and man, was he pissed. 

_ {I can’t believe he didn’t say anything!} _

_ [I told you this would be your fault!] _

Wade kicked open the door, the stench of death assaulting his nose and he nearly puked in his mask. Swallowing back the taste of pop and the hint of strawberry Twizzlers, he followed the smell down the hallway. Heru was standing outside the bedroom door.

“Wade, you don’t need to go in there,” he pleaded but Wade pushed him out of the way. She was on the bed, still in her PJ’s and under the covers. She had been there for days, almost a week by the mess, the sheets already wet with her decomposition. Her throat had been slit in her sleep, it was a quick kill but she had most definitely seen her attacker, probably after he had slit her throat, and she had watched as he had stood over her, making sure she died. 

“It isn’t your fault,” Heru said quietly, startling him.

“Of course it is,” he spat, glaring at him, “and you could have fucking warned me.”

“I couldn’t, you wouldn’t have driven up here if I did,” he answered.

_ [Huh?] _

“What the actual fuck are you talking about?” he asked just as a dark figure burst through the window, sending broken bits of glass everywhere, including Wade’s back. He hissed as he felt a bullet rip through his left kidney. He dove into the hallway, freeing Bea with his right hand while pulling out his desert eagle, Larry. The assailant appeared around the corner and Wade fired, the bullet going between his black masked eyes before he could let off another shot.

“Oh Lucy, you have some ‘splanin’ to do!” he shouted angrily at Heru when he appeared beside the collapsed body, eyes darker than night, the veins surrounding his eyes black and giving his face a creepy, demonic look. 

“Sorry Ricky baby,” he grimaced, “duck sweetie.”

“Duck? Where?” he asked, “oh, I phee,” he winced as a bullet went through the back of his head, blowing off half of his face. 

_ [Nice one] _

{Now that’s a sexy ‘O’ face} 

He spun around and raced forward, Bea slicing through the guy’s arms and he buried a bullet in his head as he collapsed. 

“Next time,” he managed a little clumsily, his jaw and tongue already reforming, “be a little more specific in your warnings,” he said with an amused glare at Heru who was now bending over the second attacker.

“Ok, Wade, there’s another guy,” he pointed as the third assailant dressed all in black came out of the bathroom, firing a semi-automatic. He fired off his own gun, missing once as the guy ducked behind the door but he buried Bea through his back, thrusting it through the wall. Heru was in the doorway, his lips black as the discoloration was spreading down his neck as he reaped another soul.

_ [I can’t decide if that’s really fucking sexy or terrifying] _

“There’s a few more,” he said, jerking his chin towards the front door, “they’re around the back.” Wade nodded and raced towards the back of the house and jumped through the patio door, plowing into one of the black clad men. Using the butt of his katana, he crushed the dude’s skull, striking twice and getting bits of brain on his glove.

_ [Mm sushi anyone?] _

“Does this count as a second date?” he asked merrily as Heru walked over to the guy and Wade not so successfully dodged a wave of INSAS bullets, “mother fucker,” he growled as both knees were blown to bits. Wade fell to the ground as he lost control of his legs but he pulled Arthur out, lined up the shot and hurled him forward.

_ [Whoa, a what now?] _

“Are you asking me out on a date, Mr. Wilson?” Heru called, appearing beside the wielder of the INSAS rifle, “boo!” he barked, his finger touching the guy’s shocked face just as Arthur sliced through his torso.

_ {Nice one!} _

“So what if I was?” he retorted, moving onto the next black clad individual.  _ God I love the way you guys whistle _ , he whispered to his beloved katanas.

_ {You’re even stupider than I thought if you think he’s going to say yes} _

“I thought you were mad at me?” he said, his head popping up from behind the guy’s shoulder and a black veined hand cupped the man’s face, both katanas were buried to the hilt in the unknown attacker’s chest, a thoughtful pout across Heru’s strange features.

“Oh you know I can’t stay mad at you poochy-kins,” he purred, his insides melting as that floppy, sheepish smirk appeared, “whaddya say?” he asked again, putting his foot on the guy’s stomach as he pulled the swords out and spun them, flinging the blood from both. Heru chewed his lip as he stared at him, Wade’s chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath, breathing against the pain of his body stitching itself back together. 

“I’m pretty high maintenance,” he quipped, looked down at the bodies around them.

“We all have our issues,” he pointed out, pulling a bullet that got stuck in his collar bone out and tossing it to the ground, “besides, I suspect you’re worth the effort.”

_ [He isn’t answering because he doesn’t want to doofus] _

_ He hasn’t said no though _ .

Heru stepped around the body and walked up to him, stopping a few centimeters away and looking up at him, the black from his veins retreating to his eyes as they searched his masked face, flecks of amber slowly starting to reappear “yea, ok,” he said after a painfully long wait and walking away with a shrug. Wade hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath but it came out in such a rush he almost stumbled forward. 

“Really?” he skipped forward and bent down beside one of the bodies and began hastily searching it for any clues. The sound of sirens was drawing closer.

_ {Oh this isn’t going to turn out well} _

_ [We’ll burn that bridge when we get there] _

“Yea really,” he laughed incredulously, “but how about we blow this joint and talk about it when the O.P.P. isn’t after us?” he suggested and Wade couldn’t help but agree.

“You’re driving snookums,” he tossed him the car keys after removing a set of dog tags, a cell phone and wallet from the body. Heru led the way to the car, they both got in as quickly as they could, a little awkwardly when Bea and Arthur got caught on the door. Heru sped off a couple seconds later while Wade removed his weapons. 

“So that was a trap,” Wade said a few minutes later, “and you knew about it. Start ‘splainin’ Luce,” Heru slurped up the rest of the flat, warm pop.

“That’s disgusting,” he muttered, making a face before looking at Deadpool and nodding reluctantly, “yea ok I knew but I couldn’t tell you. If I had told you that Abby was already dead, she died five day ago by the way, Bradley was already on her trail when you started looking into him, but you wouldn’t have made the trip if you knew she was dead.”

“Why did I have to make the trip?” he asked darkly.

“Because those men were on my list,” he replied with a sigh.

“So we made this whole fucking trip just because I had to kill those guys?” 

_ [Oh that’s fucked up] _

_ {Yep.} _

“I’m sorry,” he repeated and he had to resist the urge to punch the dash until his bones were nothing but splinters. 

“Why?” he asked through clenched teeth, trying to convince himself that there had to be some reason, some justification for it. Despite the fact that he had no problems killing people who needed to be killed, he still hated it. Just because he would kill didn’t mean he enjoyed it,  _ [that much] _ .

_ {You know you do, you’ve always been a killer, once a killer, always a killer.} _

  
  


**June 30, 1998**

**QEW, Hamilton, Ontario** **  
** **9:42 PM**

**Heru**

“Because it’s fixed,” he answered, his hands gripping the steering wheel in a vice grip as he sped down the highway, “those deaths were fixed in time and that means no altering it, no intervening and changing things.” 

“What, so everything is predetermined?” Wade challenged. 

_ <How did we go from asking us out on a date to blaming us for everything that’s happening?> _

_ {I told you things won’t work between you two} _

“Shut up,” he hissed angrily, “you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he looked over at Wade, “not you sorry. Not everything is fixed, most things aren’t but certain things are. The people I reap, most of the events surrounding their Due Date is fixed, it’s just the way it has to be. I can’t explain it all, there are rules that I have to follow,” he struggled to explain, desperate for Wade to understand. The merc sighed heavily and leaned his head against the headrest, letting it lull to the side so he could look at him. Heru glanced between the road and his white eyes.

“You knew,” he said quietly, “when I asked you earlier if you knew the names of the people I’ve killed, you had already reaped Abegail and you knew I’d take those guys out, you knew because they worked for Bradley right?” Heru nodded.

“I knew about Abby because of Bradley, you played no part in her death,” he  _ needed _ him to understand that, “the only reason you found out about her at all was because Bradley’s men had already found her but,” he swallowed, “yea, I knew about the others.”

“That was the work you needed to do tonight, wasn’t it?” he asked.

“Yea,” he nodded, “are you mad?”

“Nah,” he puffed, waving his hand, “take the next exit, we need to ditch the car.” Heru did as he was told and they pulled into a Super 8 parking lot. 

“So… we still on then?” he asked, nervously biting his lip ring as they emptied the car. Deadpool glanced at him, making a point to look him up and down before smiling.

“Yea brown eyes, we’re still on.” 

_ <Yus!> _

_ {You’re an idiot, why do we have to keep repeating ourselves?} _

“Good,” he smiled and sat on the hood, watching Wade as he broke into a Suzuki Esteem, “want me to get rid of the car?” he offered, Wade gave him a confused look over his shoulder, the lock popping, “so that it can’t get traced back to you? Unless of course this is already a stolen car and can’t be traced back to you?”

“Yea it’s stolen and I’ll take the plates off but unless you can make it disappear completely, it’ll eventually be traced to the border and they’ll be able to pull the footage up. I can see if I can get my guy to delete it-”

“No need,” Heru interrupted and hopped off the car. He put his hands on the hood, searching for the life energy of the metals and other elements that made up the car. He drew them in, trillions of little bits of life that came in a rush as the metal groaned, rusting before their eyes until it was nothing but a pile of rust, oil stains and a few fibers. 

“Holy shit,” Wade said from over his shoulder, making him jump slightly, “that’s a super neat trick.” Heru smiled up at him and flipped the hair from his eyes,

“Should have been there the first time I accidentally drained the life from something, man was my band teacher confused,” he said allusively and crawled under the driver’s seat, hot wiring the car.

“You were in Band too?” Wade asked, popping the trunk, pulling his unicorn out and throwing the bags in before getting in the passenger seat, Charlie snuggled to his chest.

  
**Souls Collected:**

**Bruce Dickenson**   
Age 39   
Died June 30, 9:14 PM   
Murdered, GSW

**Robert Hansen**

Age 31

Died June 30, 9:14 PM

Murdered, GSW

**Jacque Nichols**

Age 29   
Died June 30, 9:15 PM   
Murdered, ‘Bea’

**Lincoln Beaumot**

Age 42   
Died June 30, 9:15 PM

Murdered, blunt force trauma   
**Katrina Chase**   
Age 42   
Died June 30, 9:15 PM

Murdered, ‘Arthur’

**Kasim Mac**

Age 26   
Died June 30, 9:16 PM   
Murdered, ‘Bea’ & ‘Arthur’


	9. Chapter Nine

### Chapter Nine

**July 1, 1998**

**NJ-147, New York City, NY** **  
****5:01 AM**

**Heru**

_ <Jesus he’s adorable> _

_‘Can we keep him?’_

_{No}_

Heru drummed his fingers across the steering wheel as he took the exit off the highway, twenty minutes away from reaching Deadpool’s apartment. He had fallen asleep before they had even left Niagara Falls, New York and hadn’t woken up since, except a couple times he almost managed to snore himself awake. They’d managed to get across the border easily. Wade had spent a good hour explaining how he’d managed to get them across, and Heru was not at all surprised that it had involved someone strapped to a toilet with a bomb. After they’d made it across, Wade had handed him a phone and told him to call the number in it and give them the disarming code while he went and bought gas and snacks. Heru had called. Turned out, Wade had just painted a bunch of bricks of Sculpy to look like C4, tapped them to the inside of a toilet and rigged up a not-so-complicated digital timer. A threat to the guy’s kids had ensured his wife didn’t call the police and she got them across. The disarming code spelled out LOL Sorry. While no one was hurt, Deadpool had left a strong enough impression (Heru suspected the impression had been promises of actual violence) that no one was about to call the police.

He figured he’d let him sleep and had managed to stay quiet the entire trip, the voices containing themselves to internal dialogue for once. He didn’t need to sleep and so he had sat back, put the car in cruise (at a much more reasonable speed than Deadpool), and had spent the last eight hours snacking on Glossets and ketchup chips (another Wade certified Canadian snack) and trying to convince himself it wasn’t a terrible idea to get involved with Wade Wilson. He knew what kind of pain he would go through when he had to leave. It wasn’t like he had a domestic life and just because he could travel anywhere in the blink of an eye did not mean that he could be here all the time. He would have to leave for months at a time and long distance relationships were hard enough, add in the distance of time and dimensions and things were a whole new level of complicated.

_{Not to mention that you’re totally guano}_

_ <Like, full on guano, lock you up and throw away the key guano> _

_[It’s called deterioration and if you would do what you’re supposed to do, it would end]_

_ <But then he would be gone for good> _

_[You can’t keep up this charade, it will backfire]_

_{It always does}_

_[But this time you’ll hurt him]_

_‘The idea of hurting him is unbearable to you, he’s suffered so much already’_

_None of you remember what it’s like to be alive._

_ <I do!!> _

_I could make him happy. Who says we both have to be alone?_

Heru chewed his lip ring and looked over at him, torn between melting at the sight and throwing the door open and fucking jumping ship. Charlie (he knew the unicorn’s name because Wade had made a point to introduce them), was tucked in his lap, one hand clutching him in a death grip while the other hand lay lazily across his stomach. The seat was back, his head was resting on the head rest and his mask was rolled up over his nose, his mouth hanging open. A thin rivulet of drool had run down the side of his face and had long since dried up, the streak of slightly crusty drool ran over each bump and scar before disappearing into the neck of his suit.

_‘Yep, I’ve decided, we’re keeping him’_

He sighed and pulled into the parking garage under the apartment building and parked in Wade’s designated spot. He turned the engine off and looked over at the merc, waiting to see if he’d wake up now that they weren’t moving. He snorted in his sleep and the hand on his stomach slipped and fell between them.

“Wade,” he said gently, trying not to startle him, “Pool, hey wake up,” he resisted the urge to poke him, “Deadpool!” he shouted and Wade groaned, smacking his mouth open and closed.

“My mouth... feels like I was just... mouth-fucking sandpaper while sucking on a saliva ejector,” he croaked and chuckling, Heru handed him the last dregs of soda from the stop they’d made in Niagara Falls.

“Here,” he said, putting the cup in his hand, he suspected Wade still hadn’t opened his eyes. He put the straw to his mouth, the car filled with the sound of him attempting to suck up the last few drops.

“Jesus Christ,” he gagged, pulling the cup away, his mouth twisted in utter disgust, “that tastes like Mickey Mouse’s piss,” he opened the door and threw the cup out.

“Hey, littering!” Heru growled and got out to grab the cup. He looked over to see Wade still lazing in the seat but he had turned to watch him, the white eyes of his mask trained him.

“How did we get here?” he asked and Heru raised an eyebrow.

“Through the magic of the automobile,” he quipped and Wade rubbed his face, pulling his mask down and then stretching and making so much noise his groan echoed throughout the garage.

“I haven’t slept that good, in well,” he paused to consider it, “not since I got this hot bod. Did you drug me?” 

“What? No!” Heru threw the cup at him, indignant, and went to grab the bags from the back. 

“Well then Tater Tot, you just might be my lucky charm,” he purred happily as he climbed out of the car. Seeing Heru struggle to lift the bags out of the trunk, he snickered and grabbed both, swinging one over his shoulder while hefting the other on his arm, “you got somewhere to be?” he asked, looking down at him and Heru shook his head.

“I’ve scheduled my torture for this afternoon,” he said with a grin and Wade grinned back.

“Good, c’mon, I’ll make us pancakes.”

**July 1, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
****Harlem, New York City** **  
****5:32 AM**

**Wade**

Wade whistled as he mixed the pancake batter, the boxes were humming quietly, his frilly bright pink ‘kiss the cook’ apron wrapped around his waist. He suspected they were still groggy from sleep and he wasn’t about to complain. He hadn’t felt this refreshed in years. He tossed the whisk into the sink and grabbed the ladle. Testing the frying pan’s temperature, he poured a spoonful, the batter almost immediately began to bubble. Heru was sitting at the couch, looking at the mind-map of information Wade had on Bradley. 

“So,” he started, turning to look at the smaller man, “you reaped those souls which means you know who they were,” he stated, referring to the five armed hired killers they’d just driven all the way to fucking Milton to kill, “start talking.”

Heru looked over at him hesitantly, “there’s not much to say. Their boss works for Bradley, they’re hired mercenaries, they were hired to watch the house. Bradley knew someone else was looking for Abby and assumed that they would eventually turn up at her place,” he shrugged, “that’s it.”

“Yea, but who did they work for, give me a name? And can we connect them back to Bradley?” he asked, flipping the pancake and preparing the next spoonful. Heru looked at him, confused.

“Why would we need to?” he questioned, looking over his shoulder and going back to the papers on the floor.

_[The shit is he smoking?]_

“What do you mean, ‘why would we need to’? So that we get evidence on this fucker and bring down his operation.” _Obviously._

_[Did he hit his head?]_

“Right,” he said as if he hadn’t even thought about it, “but it’ll be years before this operation is dismantled,” he said, walking over to the counter, hopping up and swinging his legs. Wade put the cooked pancake on a plate in the oven and started the next one.

“Well anything this big is going to take time,” he explained, “but it’s not just Bradley that needs to be taken out.” Heru watched him carefully, his precious eyes narrowed and glazed over as he stared at something unseen.

“You’re right,” he nodded, looking up at him, “I guess you have your work cut out for you.”

“You’re not going to tell me anything else?” 

_[Well that’s super unhelpful]_

_{I mean he could at least give us their names}_

“What do you want to know?” he asked, picking at a loose thread in one of the zippers that went across his thigh.

“Well names would be helpful,” he started another pancake. The ‘clues’ he’d gotten off the body had turned out to be total dead ends. The dog tags were just numbers, the wallet just filled with three different currencies _[thank you very much]_ , and the phone was a burner with no numbers saved, only a number of incoming calls from a blocked number. Heru nodded and slipped off the counter. He grabbed the pad of sticky notes from beside the couch and wrote a name down on each sticky before sticking them to a memo about dry cleaning. 

“They worked for the company Ponoa Dry Cleaning. It’s a military style black ops team operating as a commercial cleaning company” he explained, handing the memo to him, “it’s the company he uses for most of his wet work. It’s a subsidiary of Orion Operations & co,” he paused. “I know! I’m not going to,” he snapped over his shoulder, glaring, “I can’t tell you anything else or I’ll break the rules about not interfering so please don’t ask,” he hopped back onto the counter and snatched the pancake from the frying pan before Wade could put it in the oven. He started pulling it into pieces and eating it.

“Fair enough,” he dipped his chin in acknowledgement and looked at the memo as he poured off another pancake, “I’ve heard of Orion before, the name’s come up a few times.”

“It’s a good place to start looking but Wade, please, _please_ be careful with this,” he urged again.

_{Heal factor, immortal, how many times do we have to repeat it to a guy who’s also immortal?}_

“Aw shnookums, you don’t have to worry about lil’ ol’ me,” he drawled happily and flipped the pancake.

“I know that it’s not going to kill you Wade,” he said seriously and he glanced back at him, his elegant face lined in worry, “but there are still a lot of reasons for me to worry about you.” He had to fight every part of his body that told him to wrap him in his arms and make a thousand empty promises about being careful, knowing he’d just end up charging full speed into the line of fire anyway.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” he’d just have to go with talking it out instead, “they torture me? Pfft, been there, done that.”

_[Yea, there’s really not a whole lot of torture we haven’t experienced]_

_{Anyone want a flashback reminder?}_

_Nope, we’re good, thanks._

“No,” he jumped down and opened the fridge, pulling out the jug of maple syrup they had picked up on their trip, “just be careful is all I’m saying.”

_{He’s not much of a talker is he?}_

“Mm,” he turned back to the pancakes while Heru busied himself setting the table, “doesn’t seem like it, Yellow, we’ll have to do the majority,” he muttered, _[I think we usually do]_. Heru leaned against the counter, his arms folded across his chest as he watched Wade flip the last pancake.

“It’s hard not to worry, it’s kind of like one of my best secret talents,” he said cheerily and Wade eyed him. 

_[Don’t do it]_

_I won’t_.

He looked behind him at the bananas, _hmm caramelized bananas would go perfectly with this_. Smiling from behind his mask, he walked over to Heru, stopping a mere three centimeters away as he leaned forward, his eyes locked on those perfect lips.

_{Don’t you fucking dare Wade, I will fucking cut your balls off}_

_[Don’t do that to him, don’t make him see what you’ve done]_

_I won’t._

“You know what brown eyes?” he whispered.

“What?” he choked and Wade could feel his breath on his lips, he’s knees threatening to buckle.

“It’s not really a secret, you’re kind of obvious about your worrying,” he breathed. He almost caved when Heru’s lips parted and the tiniest, quietest whimper escaped but instead he grabbed the bananas and pushed away.

_Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!_

_[Christ on a stick, why did you have to torture us like that?]_

_{You’re such a masochist.}_

_[And a sadist!]_

“So,” he popped merrily, attempting to defuse the tension and busying himself with cooking the bananas, mixing in brown sugar and a giant glob of butter, “when’s your big date with our man Bradley?” Heru was still struggling to stay upright and Wade smirked, _might not be able to touch him but I sure can drive him crazy_.

_[I feel like that’s not something you should be trying to do]_

_{Yea, not when it’s already obvious the guy has a few loose screws}_

“Uhm,” he shook his head and practically crawled to the table where he took his seat, “I have a couple weeks,” he stammered, “July sixteenth.”

“What happens after that?” he tried not to sound too nosy but he was starting to worry about what it would mean and how much time he would have left with him. Heru choked on the orange juice he had poured himself, sputtering and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before looking over at him.

_[He is beauty]_

_{He is grace}_

_[He will reap your soul and choke on orange juice]_

“I’m not sure yet,” he mumbled, “so um, does this count as a third date? I mean, it’s been awhile since I dated and I kind of forget some of the rules but I was pretty sure there’s supposed to be time between dates where we both spend a stupid amount of time obsessing whether or not the other person likes us and whether or not it’d be needy to text them...like nonstop,” he rambled, turning the conversation around.

_[Well shit]_

_{Wait, he does that too?}_

“This isn’t a date,” he told him, grabbing a bowl and after inspecting the state of cleanliness, he poured the banana sauce into it and set it on the table. He grabbed the pancakes from the stove and set them in between their plates, “this is the point in the story where we spend the morning together after having spent all night staying up and talking, well, mostly. You’ll know when it’s a date,” he winked at him and dropped three pancakes on his plate. Heru blushed and looked down at his pancakes as he tried to hide that sheepish grin.

_[I want to kiss him]_

_{We can’t}_

_I was wrong, this a new kind of torture._

“What are your plans today?” Heru asked after a few minutes of their silent eating, looking up at Wade expectantly as he chewed, his russet cheeks puffed out.

“Well, I got this great tip from this fucking adorable sex on two legs of a man about this company Orion and I figured I’d go see how many nuts I have to pop to get some more information,” he quipped cheerily, slathering his pancakes in maple syrup and sugary banana goodness.

_{mmmm Diabetus}_

Heru grinned around the mouthful of food, managing to swallow without choking and taking a long drink of juice, “sounds like a jolly good time.”

“Mm it’s one of my favorite pass-times,” he teased.

They spent the morning together, talking about Orion and some of the other companies as Wade attempted to get his dial-up working (he kept meaning to get wireless) so that he could do some research on said company. Heru wandered around the apartment, snooping without really snooping because Wade had nothing to hide. His apartment was littered with weapons and Heru had lectured him about the safety of keeping land mines on the floor of the closet next to a tank of nitroglycerin before screeching and running out of the bathroom.

_[Uh, did you clean up the shower?]_

_{No, did you?}_

_Nope_.

“There’s…” Heru let out a slow, calming breath before smiling at him, “nevermind, I’m not going to ask how you managed to do that one,” he said, referencing the week old bathtub filled with blood, brain and a few teeth. He may or may not have tested out a new weapon that shot acid bullets.

“Probably best not to babe,” he replied from his computer.

“Your apartment is kind of a biohazard,” he pointed out, looking into the bedroom, and the mountain of bloody laundry.

“Yea, I gave the maid the last five years off,” he quipped, only slightly embarrassed by the state of his home. He’d seen Heru’s place and knew he wasn’t a neat freak, but he did feel a prickle of shame at all the blood stains and he just knew Heru knew they were from him. 

_{It's like a museum to you're unaliving}_

_[A smelly one]_

Heru helped him with as little as possible in terms of research, giving him one-word answers or flat out refusing to tell him anything about Bradley. He understood, sort of, it made sense that Death couldn’t share all that information and at least he had a bone to gnaw on in his boredom. Heru left just after eight, saying he had some work to do before promising to text him and disappearing. Wade wondered who was about to die and if they were one of his innocent victims or not.

**July 1, 1998**

**267 5th Ave, New York City** **  
****3:30 PM**

**Heru**

_"Did you know,"_ Heru whispered as he stood behind Bradley, his hands resting on the man's shoulders as he reviewed a proposal from the marketing department, _"that the human brain is capable of actually convincing the body that something imagined is actually real and even respond to it?"_ he questioned, running a hand up his neck, caressing his jaw, _"I can plant the idea, pull on the memories of those who experienced it and,"_ Bradley coughed, his pen falling as he started to gasp for air, invisible hands wrapping around his throat and squeezing impossibly tight, _"make your brain think that you're being strangled,"_ he growled into his ear, knowing he couldn't hear him but compelled to talk anyway, hoping somewhere in his subconscious he could sense his words. 

_ <Remember when we were strangled?> _

_{Which time?}_

_ <The first time> _

_'Oh yea, that was really special'_

_Bit busy, silence from the peanut gallery please._ Bradley was turning purple, his thrashing had slowed but _stupid Brian_ was coming down the hall so Heru released him, growling in annoyance. Brian knocked on the door as Bradley sputtered, coughed and nearly vomited.

"Come... come in," he croaked, taking a drink and looking at the lawyer, who stood frozen a few feet away, staring wide eyed, Heru smirked and ran a finger along Bradley's neck before going and taking a seat, "well! What do you want Mr. Lawson?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Are you… are you alright?" He asked nervously, his eyes darting down to the beautiful purple bruising forming on the man's neck.  
"I'm fine, now what do you want?" he coughed, straightening his tie and motioning for him to get on with it.

“I uh,” he looked around, clearly uncomfortable and unsure of how to pretend he didn’t notice anything unusual, “I came in to tell you that there’s a problem with the Robinson account,” he said quietly.

_{Oh, here we go!}_

_ <Is it that time already?> _

_‘I thought we had more time’_

“What?” Bradley’s voice was quiet, but the blood drained from the little lawyer’s face and Bradley leaned back in his chair, “explain it to me.”

“Well,” he cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, “well sir, Mr. Robinson isn’t happy with the terms of the contract we drafted,” he stated, attempting to stand up straight.

“And what about the contract is not to Mr. Robinson’s satisfaction?” he asked, a bit of a sigh at the end as he sat forward, preparing to do whatever needed to be done to make this merger go through. If he could get Robinson to sign, his company would be taking over their accounts, handling everything from accounting, human resources to legal and in exchange, the company would be making an annual profit of 3.1 billion. It was the deal of a lifetime, any junior associate would have killed someone to be brought onto the case, and in fact, it had been a test of loyalty and Brain had done what was needed. But Bradley was eyeing the young lawyer now with that familiar cold assessment as he wondered just how dispensable was the man before him?

“He, erm,” he stepped forward and lowered his voice, “he didn’t like the um… assets,” he fumbled, his eyes darting up as he struggled to remember the appropriate term they had devised. The “assets” were named Charmane and Tyson. Twins, ten years old who had been up for adoption for the last four years. Their parents had died in a tragic car accident and with no other living family, they had been placed into the foster system. Since then, they’d been lucky enough to not be shuffled around too much, having only lived with two families who treated them kindly and properly. They just weren’t able to adopt. When our hero Mr. Bradley heard their tragic tale at a fundraiser his company was sponsoring to raise money for the homeless youth of New York City, he was all too happy to help them out. In fact, it was perfect timing as he had just met a powerful businessman who had some unique interests. While lamenting the struggles a man such as himself faced in an increasingly judgmental, extreme liberal society, Bradley’s nose for business caught the scent of opportunity. 

“What do you mean he didn’t like the assets? When we reviewed everything last week he was over the moon with it, what happened?” he barked, his already frayed temper nearly reaching its limit.

“He said he, well sir, he said that he’s changed his mind and he would rather er,” he stuttered, his nails digging into his own palms in his anxiety, “that he would rather have two of the younger assets,” he was of course, referring to Charmane who was the younger twin, born one minute and fifty two seconds after her older brother Tyson. Both babies had been happy, their bodies healthy and their souls loved by their parents. 

“It’s a bit late for him to be changing his mind like this,” Bradley sighed, “have you tried to remind him that both are ideal for his purposes if he hopes to cater to all his clients?” Brian nodded,

“Yes sir,” he said.

“Right, well clearly you’re too fucking incompetent to handle this. Tell Karen to give him a call and set up a meeting immediately,” he ordered, wincing as he moved his neck too suddenly, the muscles still tender from the psychic attack.

“Yes sir,” Brian scurried out of the office, Heru watching him go. 

_{Poor stupid Brian, stupid sad, pathetic Brian}_

He wasn’t a bad person, he was simply that perfect human cocktail of cowardice and ambition that allowed those in power to mold and craft into the mini versions of their psychotic selves. He would die in the next few days, Heru thought about his girlfriend and how the violence and reason for his death would send her spiraling into a well of depression and self-doubt. She would agonize over questions like how could she have been so blinded and how could she have loved someone capable of that. He felt bad for her, knew that these days would define the rest of her life. He hoped it worked out, her future too much in a state of flux for him to see, determined by the decisions she would make in the coming years based off of these events. 

_[We should still have plenty of time to play before we need to leave]_

_‘It’s not even quite four thirty yet, three hours, five minutes and twenty seconds remaining’_

_{Oh that’s plenty of time to have some fun}_

Heru stood up and walked over to his desk, hopping onto the corner and crossing his leg over his knee as he ran a hand through Bradley’s hair, his head bent over the Robinson contract in preparation for the meeting. He laughed when Bradley jerked his head up, his hand automatically running through his sandy hair.

_“Did you miss me baby?”_

**July 1, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
****Harlem, New York City** **  
****5:32 PM**

**Wade**

Wade had spent the entire day at his computer, his eyes burned and his back had had better days but he was making progress, strides even. Once he had managed to get onto the internet and more importantly, the dark web, he was able to start piecing things together. Kanel Investment, the company Bradley worked for and was very near to owning, was a global multinational corporation with thirty five various companies and charities. There were five companies that hundreds of merc jobs could be traced back to, if one knew where and how to look. The truly frightening part? At least seven of them were military contractors for various countries. Bradley’s company was as Wade had suspected, a Sponsor. They were the Weasels of the criminal corporate world, the networkers of the underworld. They provided the government with leading technology, weapons, bioweapons, and whatever else their evil little hearts wanted, like mutants _{*cough* Weapon X *cough*}_ , slaves, blood money, oil contracts, bills denied or passed and whatever else. In turn, the government looked the other way at their shady dealings and made sure that certain laws that would benefit them got approved. If the American government knew that Unite Pathstone, one of the subsidiaries of Kanel Investment (he had only found Pathstone because of Ponoa Dry Cleaning, the only connecting piece of information that tied Pathstone to Ponoa together was a monthly invoice for uniform cleaning), was laundering money to al-Qaeda, Wade suspected they wouldn’t be too happy. 

_[More like super freakin’ pissed]_

_{I think someone should tip them off}_

“Mm,” Wade agreed, “but we need more proof.” What evidence he did have wouldn’t be enough to turn the government against one of its favorite criminals. 

“Also, I’m pretty sure it would get buried long before it made it to the right people,” he told the boxes, rubbing his exhausted eyes with the heel of his palms. His phone buzzed angrily on the table and he hastily snatched it up.

 _{Oh does somebody think a certain someone is calling?}_ Yellow teased but Wade ignored him and answered, noting the caller I.D.

“Weas!” he greeted happily, “what’s up my man?”

“Wade, listen to me, I don’t have much time,” he said in a quiet rush and Wade jerked to attention, “look I know I said I was out and I am, but I’ve been keepin’ an ear out for you, just in case.”

“I knew you loved me,” he beamed.

“Yea whatever, look Wade, I wouldn’t have called but I just, I couldn’t not tell someone, this is just, well even for me it’s not cool,” he rambled and Wade threw his head back, waiting for Weasel to get to the point, “look I’ve heard that something is going down at seven tonight, some big deal or something, but Wade, they’re selling off some kids,” he finally said and Wade’s blood turned icy. 

_No. No, nope._

_{You go get ‘em Big Boy!}_

Wade demanded the address, writing it down before hanging up his phone and throwing it, grateful he had what seemed like an indestructible Nokia. He picked up the battery and reassembled the device before going and changing into his suit. There’s no fucking way he wasn’t going to stop this from happening.   
  


**The Chatwal** **  
****130 W 44th St, New York** **  
****6:58 PM**

“Oh Mister Sandman,” Deadpool sang, “bring us a dream,” he hummed, stitching the bullet hole in his pant leg closed. The dead security guard lay bleeding under his feet, his boots resting on his chest. He’d made his way through the hotel, successfully managing to avoid the security cameras and the hotel security. He had not so successfully avoided Bradley’s own security and had luckily had the foresight to bring his suppressors. After a lively _{and fatal}_ , but brief shootout, Wade had managed to bring the body into the small supply closet two doors down from the room where things were scheduled to go down. Bradley was there in person, he’d watched him get off the elevator with another boring white guy in a suit, two security shadows trailing after them. They’d gone into the room and everyone was waiting on the delivery of the ‘assets’ as Weasel had called them. 

He tied off the knot, used one of his throwing knives to cut the thread and straightened out his leg, moving it around to inspect his work.

“Perfecto,” he tucked the needle and thread back into the travel sewing kit and put it away in a pouch with the Hello Kitty band-aids. He glanced at his watch, “show time ladies,” he cracked open the supply closet door and looked out at the end of the hallway. The elevator dinged and a woman wearing a pair of scrubs (he identified her as the maid Weasel had told him about) stepped off the elevator, two little kids following in her shadow, their faces confused and he could tell they were starting to get scared by the way they looked at each other. 

“It’s ok kiddos,” he whispered, “Deadpool’s not going to let anything happen to you,” he swore.

_{Unless you accidentally get them killed}_

_[Yea don’t use their bodies as a shield ok? Even if it’s tempting!]_

“Fuck off,” he waited, watching as they approached the hotel room, knocked and stepped inside. He pulled out his pair of glocks, checked the clips, and drew in three sharp, quick breaths, pumping himself up. 

He kicked in the hotel room door, the kids and woman screaming as he immediately shot the security guard closet to him. Heru appeared behind the guard, catching him as he fell and smiling up at Wade with those black eyes, the black spreading outwards.

“Hey pumpkin!” Wade beamed, “I should have known I’d be seeing you tonight!”

“Hey baby,” Heru purred, “no one else can see me k?” 

“Oooh, my favorite invisible friend!” _{wow, asshole} [just chuck us out at the first sign of a sexy invisible ass, I see how it is]_ he winked at him and dove behind the couch, ignoring the bullets that had gone through his torso. He jumped up, shooting the other two security agents in the throats in two quick pulls of his trigger. 

“Wade!” Heru called and he looked to see him pointing at the maid, dragging the two children by their tiny little arms through the door to the adjoining room.

“Well fuck sticks,” he swore, shooting the security that came rushing in through the busted door.

“You!” Bradley spat, pointing a stubby finger at him and Deadpool pointed at himself with his gun, tapping his chest with the warm barrel and looking around.

“Me?” he looked over at Heru who was squatting beside one of the guards he’d shot in the throat. He hadn’t died, _[whoopsies, missed the trachea]_ , and was instead rapidly bleeding out. There was something feral in Heru’s expression as he watched him. 

“You’re dead,” Bradley said, drawing Wade’s attention back to the more immediate situation.

“Yes,” he nodded, “yes, my name is Dead, Deadpool,” he said slowly and clearly as if he was speaking to someone who didn’t understand English, “but lucky for you, you’re not the one he’s here for,” he pointed at Heru, “and the people I came here for are escaping so, toodles!” he shot Bradley in the foot, giggling as he howled in pain and spun around, his gun in Robinson’s face. He had grabbed the gun of one of the fallen security and was about to point it at Wade. 

_[And what were you going to do with that? Useless boob]_ , Wade pulled the trigger, the monster inside him humming in approval of literally blowing the head off of the predator, “Sorry baby, I hope it’s ok I maimed your playmate,” he said to Heru when he got to the door the kids had run through, “also, I quit!” he told Bradley and shut the door behind him. Weasel had told him that the maid worked for Robinson and had adopted the children for him, thus keeping it out of the spotlight while providing the man with two new non-consenting actors. He checked the balcony and then the bedroom and closets. 

_{They’re probably long gone by now}_

“Nope,” he shook his head and shot the bathroom door lock, the maid had locked them in, unwilling to run away and risk the payout she had been promised, “wrong again Yellow,” he said before shooting her between the eyes. The children screamed and he immediately put his guns away, kneeling down and holding his hands up, “whoa whoa, it’s ok, it’s ok!” he said gently, “I’m here to help you.”

“I want to go home,” the girl cried, looking up at her brother as tears streamed down her face. Her brother was also crying but Wade could tell he was the older of the two by the way he wrapped his arms around her and held his chin up, bravely determined to protect her.

“You killed them,” he said flatly and Deadpool nodded.

“Yea, sorry about that but… well, they were _really_ bad people and they were going to hurt you guys,” he explained, inwardly screaming to hurry up, to get moving before the police showed up because who knew if they could trust the police when everyone was in Bradley’s pocket, “I’m going to take you somewhere safe, somewhere where no one’s going to hurt you and the bad guys can’t find you, ok?” 

“Ty, I’m scared,” she whimpered and he looked down at her, his face immediately softening.

“It’s ok Char, he’s friends with Spider-Man, we can trust him,” he told her and Wade felt a huge wave of relief. _Thank fuck for Spidey’s golden reputation, also, excellent idea kids!_

“That’s right, me and Spidey are besties and he’s going to help us,” he said. Spider-Man had been back in town for a few days, laying low as he undoubtedly recovered from whatever injuries he managed to get while in Europe _[he’s a hopeless mess] {really is, and shitty heal factor}_ . He pulled out his phone and quickly sent him a text, _Hey Webs! Bit of a situation, can we meet at the safe house?_ He hit send and held out his hand.

“C’mon kiddies, we need to get out of here like yesterday,” he helped them to their feet, Char allowing him to pick her up so she didn’t step in the maid’s blood as Ty carefully stepped over her, “stay behind me,” he told them as he set her down and pulled his guns out again. Heru appeared by the main entrance and waved them over.

“Bradley left, their police are on the way to contain the area,” he told him, “he’s not going to stop looking for those kids, you need to get them out of here now.”

“That’s what I’m doing Gummy Bear,” he rolled his eyes and looked down at the kids, “can you believe this guy? Of course we’re leaving!”

“Who, who are you talking to?” she asked, looking at the door with frightened eyes and Wade glared at Heru, his whole body sighing.

“Really? They can’t see you either?” Heru just grinned at him and he quickly led them down the hall to the service elevator. 

They managed to escape. Wade had to kill three more private security guards and when cornered by the three police officers, he confirmed with Heru that they were most definitely working with Bradley and shot all three, killing one and maiming the two.

_{Oh man, Spidey is soooo not going to be happy!}_

“I have to go,” Heru called, stopping at the mouth of the alley that Wade had hidden his car in, “call me after?” 

“Of course,” he promised, watching as he vanished and then turning back to the kids, “hop in, we’re goin’ to meet up with Spidey.”

**Souls Collected:** **  
****Zackari Collierd**   
Age 28   
Died July 1, 6:48 PM   
Murdered, GSW

 **Donnie Ellwood**   
Age 28   
Died July 1, 7:24 PM   
Murdered, GSW   
**Said Cassidy**   
Age 38   
Died July 1, 7:24 PM   
Murdered, GSW

 **Freddie Petterson**   
Age 32   
Died July 1, 7:25 PM   
Murdered, GSW   
**Konner Carson**   
Age 26   
Died July 1, 7:25 PM

Murdered, GSW  
 **Eileen Knott**

Age 53  
Died July 1, 7:25 PM

Murdered, GSW

**Dominic Robinson**

Age 61  
Died July 1, 7:26 PM

Murdered, GSW

**Taran McGee**

Age 49  
Died July 1, 7:26 PM   
Murdered, GSW

**Paul Griffin**

Age 42

Died July 1, 7:29 PM

Murdered, GSW

**Veer Henson**

Age 39  
Died July 1, 7:31 PM

Murdered, ‘Bea’

**Kaci Garrett**

Age 30

Died July 1, 7:32 PM  
Murdered, GSW


	10. Chapter Ten

###  Chapter Ten

**July 1, 1998** **  
** **148 West 133rd St  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **8:31 PM  
** **Heru**

_ I hate being linear _   
_ <Why are we being linear?>  
_ _ {Because you fuckwits still won’t let go}  
_ _ Oh yea, that makes sense, _ Heru paced the span of his apartment. He’d pushed the couch against the wall and the table into the kitchen so that he could walk uninhibited, one arm wrapped around his stomach while he rubbed his knuckles against his chest bone. All the realities were shifting so rapidly, he couldn’t sit still, unsure of which reality he would land in. The one where Wade was able to save the kids or the one where Wade looked away for just one second? These were the moments that had Heru throwing himself against the wall, trying to get out of his own skin because his reality was a sick game of Russian Roulette with the universe and waiting to see what version of the day he would end up in was the roller coaster from hell. 

_ {Jesus Christ} _

_ [Drama queen] _

_ {You’re honestly pathetic, this is ridiculous} _

_ ‘Just sit your ass down and wait’ _

_ {Fuck} _

Heru came to an abrupt halt, his breath freezing as the panic came crashing down, the out of flux moments falling into place and the tension slid from his shoulders as he let out his breath. 

_ From D _

_ Kids are safe, got Webs to take them to an Avenger’s safe house. He’ll take care of them. _

Charmane Louise Fenick and Tyson Armin Fenick were no longer on his list. He smiled, glad to be in the reality where Deadpool saved the lives of two beautiful souls. He closed his eyes and watched, savoring this moment as he had the privilege to watch what he could see of their lives. He didn’t just see all the souls ended because of someone he reaped, he also got to see the lives of those they affected in any way. Whether it was a bump on the shoulder on the subway or falling in love and spending a life together, he could see those webs of the universe. They made all the other shit a little less… shitty. 

_ From D _

_ I don’t know about you, but im famished. Should keep a low profile for a bit, i think our friend might have noticed my involvement. pizza and Mario Kart? _

_ To D _

_ Come on in whenever you get here _

He hit send and started to move the furniture nearish to their original places just as the window slid open and the leather clad merc slipped inside.

_ <He must have been waiting on the fire escape> _

“I hope you’re hungry,” he said in greeting, Heru’s eyes widening at the tower of boxes in his arms, “we’ve got pepperoni and cheese, meat lovers, cheesy bread, garlic bread, 3 lbs of buffalo wings and cinnamon buns!” he announced proudly and set the giant tower of boxes on the table, grinning at Heru from behind his mask, his suit still covered in blood and filled with bullet holes.

_ <Can we show him?> _

_ {It wouldn’t affect anything, not directly anyway} _

“You have enough here to feed a small village,” he pointed out and went to the fridge. He’d picked up a few things earlier, having known the night would either end up with him trying to convince Wade not to repeatedly blow his brains out or in a celebratory night of games, drinking and food and he had wanted to be prepared either way. He pulled the bottle of Kraken from the freezer (back to its original, unopened, full self), a bottle of 95% Everclear (he could trick himself sometimes with a high enough alcohol content that he could almost get a buzz) and a nice bottle of rye he thought Wade would like.

“I know,” he said proudly, his mask already rolled up as he ate a slice of pizza, “but I couldn’t decide and regenerating always takes up a lot of energy,” he explained, leaning against the counter and watching him.

“Works for me,” Heru smiled and held up the bottles, “figured we could celebrate. Thanks to you, Charmane and Tyson will live long, happy lives,” he poured a glass of rye for Wade and a shot of everclear for himself and held them up.

“I don’t know if I would go that far, I’m not sure if you noticed or not, but that was kind of a fucked up thing to witness and be a part of. I foresee some serious couch time with Freud,” he said, accepting the glass and finishing his slice.

_ ‘We can show him now right?’ _

_ [Just wait] _

_ {It’s not time yet} _

“They’ll be ok with people like you to look up to,” he said reassuringly and clicked glasses, “to Deadpool,” he said before emptying his glass. Wade reluctantly accepted the cheers and drank his own glass.

“That’s nice,” he said after and grabbed the bottle, “Sixteen and Shelter Point Distillery, tasty,” he poured another glass, this time filling it and grabbed a box from the table before plopping down on the couch, “you rearrange shit?” he asked, looking around him.

“Voted Canada’s finest whiskey in 2020,” he told him, grabbing the bottles and sitting down in the middle of the couch, “you wanna try out a new system?” he asked, grabbing the Wii U remotes, “I have a feeling you’re going to aggressively love the Wii.”

“Show me the ways of your sorcery technology,” he joked, accepting the controller and looking at it in confusion. Heru jumped up and began rummaging in the pile of electronics for the steering wheel adapters.

Turned out, Heru was right and Wade went apeshit for the Wii. His driving was even more insane, he put his entire body into every movement, shouting at the top of his lungs and pretending to lay on the non existent gas pedal. 

“Haha, take that fuckers!” Wade exclaimed, jumping to his feet and raising his arms above his head after winning his first round. It had taken him a while to get used to the controls.

“Woo!” Heru cheered, glad he was having fun and refilled their drinks. He was almost through the rye, but unless it was a keg, Heru wasn't concerned about getting him drunk.

“Thanks muffin,” he took the offered glass and drank it back before plopping on the couch beside him. 

_ ‘How about now?’ _

Ignoring Present, Heru started up another round, “alright ‘Pool, no more holding back while you get your sea-legs, the gloves are coming off,” he warned, having gone easy on him for the last four rounds.

“You’re on brown eyes,” he jeered back, “be prepared to get fucked,” he said, both of them falling uncomfortably silent before Heru snorted.

“I wish,” he muttered, winking at him before turning his attention to the game.

“You play dirty,” Wade growled, a wicked grin on Heru’s face as he hit him with a banana peel, took out the surrounding computer players and sped off in first place.

“Oh, I can most  _ definitely _ play dirty,” he whispered in a sultry voice,  _ <it’s been awhile since we used  _ that _ voice> _ . Wade groaned, his character falling to sixth place. 

“You’re going to pay for that, you know?” he swore, using a lightning bolt to get past the computer players.

“Promise?” he said, biting his lip and looking at him quickly. Wade pressed his lips together, struggling not to smile and shifting so that the leather of his suit creaked.

“Oh yea, the things I’m going to do,” he said jokingly, his voice falling just a little deeper, making Heru’s insides flutter as he thought of all the things he could do that were  _ not _ in the game.

“Uh uh,” Heru dropped the banana peel just as Wade’s red shell came up behind him, “haha,” he skidded around the corner, the finish line just ahead.

“Fuck!” Wade exploded, leaning forward, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he tried to get past Heru. He was half a second too slow. 

“Oooh yea!” Heru jumped up and did his little victory dance, a habit from growing up playing games with his brothers, “can’t touch this!” he gloated, grinning gleefully at Deadpool who was sitting stiffly and glaring up at him.

“I think I’m starting to get how Gambit feels,” he muttered, a growl in his words and he finished off the bottle, grabbing the Everclear. He grimaced after taking a swig. Heru’s movements had stilled at his words.

_ ‘Now?’ _

_ Yea, now works _

“I  _ can _ control it, it’s not as uncontrolled as Rogue’s,” he said, understanding Wade’s remark immediately, “I mean,” he licked his lips nervously, “with enough warning, I can focus my attention on the present. I’ll always see the person’s death, no way I can’t, but if I focus, I can try to shut out the rest. It’s actually relatively easy with most people but you’re…”

“A mass murder?” he supplied and Heru shook his head.

“You’re a fixed point in time which means the effect you have on everything around you is…” he struggled for the word, “cataclysmic. It’ll be harder to block things out but there’s actually something I want to show you and if I can focus on just showing you this, it should be enough to block out the majority of timelines,” he explained, chewing his lip anxiously.

_ {This is a bad idea} _

_ I want him to see it, it’ll make him happy. _

“What does that mean?” he asked, moving to the edge of the couch and looking up at him. Heru took a step closer.

“It means I could touch you and I’m 95% sure that I wouldn’t see more than your death,” he said, his chest tightening with anxiety.  _ Maybe 85% sure. _

“Immortal, remember?” he sighed and Heru rolled his eyes.

“The cheese always stands alone Wade,” he muttered, “which is to say, everyone dies Deadpool, everything. Death comes for all, eventually,” he took another micro-step forward, “but I want to show you what you made possible tonight.”

“Do you have to touch me in some… special way?” he questioned, his mouth twisting into a smirk, “like a mind-meld?” Heru grinned, unable to stop from chuckling.

“No, I'm not Spock” he chortled, taking another step so that he was standing between Wade’s legs, an inch away and looking down at him, waiting for him to consent, “it’s ok if you don’t want me to-” Wade’s gloved hands had reached up and grabbed his waist, pulling him down into his lap. Taken by surprise, Heru winced as he quickly grabbed the memory threads of Charmane and Tyson while trying to ignore the onslaught of the colliding timelines. He found Wade’s lips with his own and breathed the memories into him.

He wouldn’t see everything the way Heru did, it didn’t work that way when he wasn’t his to reap. Instead, he would just see glimpses of them throughout their lives, the emotions the strongest of imprints that he would feel and he knew that they would recover from this trauma, that they would be adopted and loved, growing up to be good, strong people as a direct result of his influence in their lives. He could feel their happiness, their contentment, and the joy they would bring to other’s. A father’s pride swelling in his heart.

Wade pulled away first, his chin wet from salty tears that had escaped from his mask and Heru wiped them away with shaking hands.

_ {Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look, don’t look, don’t look!!!} _ _   
_ “What,” Deadpool whispered, “what was that?” Heru pressed his forehead against Wade’s, focusing on the feel of his suit beneath his hands, breathing in the smell of alcohol, pizza and blood, trying to narrow his vision to the pinprick moment that was the present.

“What you did,” he answered, “I didn’t have to reap them tonight, thanks to you,” he whispered, melting as Wade’s arms wrapped around him and he pulled him in for another, deeper, kiss. Heru whimpered.

_ <Three hundred, forty six years since we kissed someone> _

He grabbed the back of Wade’s head, adjusting in his lap so his legs squeezed around his waist as he set about memorizing everything about his mouth. He still tasted like pizza and alcohol, but death clung to him, and he could taste it in the metallic, acrid flavors beneath the sweetness of the pizza, sending him into overdrive. 

**July 1, 1998** **  
** **148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **9:43 PM** **  
** **Wade**

Heru was in his lap and kissing him with the intensity of a parched man having water for the first time in days. He was familiar and yet entirely new, his lips soft and sweet. Wade’s grip tightened on him as he whimpered. 

_ [How long do we get before he starts to see shit?] _

_ {Best memorize this feeling because he’s not going to want to stick around after seeing just how bad it really is} _

_ Shut up _ , Wade pushed the boxes away, a gloved hand coming up to tangle his fingers in Heru’s hair, pulling him closer to him. He could get used to this. Heru pressed his hips down, his ass grinding into his lap and sending a shiver through his entire body. His tongue slid against Heru’s, the slick velvet of his mouth contrasting with the feel of his teeth. He tasted like buffalo wings, nail polish {that’d be the everclear!}, cinnamon and blood. Heru’s nails dug into the back of his neck. He pulled away, nipping at his jaw and kissing down his slender neck and breathing him in. He tugged on his earlobe with his teeth before sliding his tongue over his pulse point  _ [no pulse, good to know] _ and savoring the way Heru trembled. 

His breath hitched as the very abrupt sensation of falling completely overwhelmed him, his stomach flipping and there was a moment of overwhelming sensations, his senses blown into overdrive and Heru was scrambling out of his lap.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he was prattling, his hands covering his eyes as he stumbled around, bumping into the coffee table and trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

“Nugh” he moaned and shook his head, trying to make the vertigo stop and reaching out for him.

_ [Time’s up] _

_ {He’s going to know just how much of a monster you really are now} _

“I know, you were right!” Heru shouted at the corner, “I know he doesn’t want us to see,” he whined and Wade let his hands fall back into his lap, reality crashing in painfully clear.

“So much for control, eh?” he sighed, watching him and wishing he could crawl in a hole and die. 

_ [Can’t say we’ve ever kissed someone into a panic attack before] _

_ {I love new experiences!} _

“It’s ok,” Heru managed, panting slightly as he swayed, his hand still over his eyes as he looked in the opposite direction.

“I’m sorry,” he grabbed the bottle of everclear and began chugging.  _ Fuck this shit. _

“I’m the one who needs to apologize,” he pulled his hand away, the veins in his face black as his dark eyes landed on him, “you don’t want me to see all that stuff.”

“I kind of like having you around,” he said with a shrug, drinking down the rest of the bottle and savoring the two second buzz, Heru frowned at him.

_ [And you’ll leave when you see just how many people we’ve killed] _

_ You’ll know what kind of monster I really am. _

“Wade,” he walked over to him and knelt in front of him, “I’m not pulling away because  _ I _ don’t want to see, I mean, it’s complicated but I’m pulling away because  _ you _ don’t want me to see and it isn’t fair,” he explained and Wade’s head snapped up, staring at him.

“I don’t want you to have to see all that,” he whispered, “Heru, I can’t even count how many people I’ve killed, let alone how many I’m indirectly responsible for… I don’t want you to look at me like you look at Bradley,” he managed.

_ {Because at the end of the day, you’re just as bad as he is} _

_ [You deserve to be punished just like him] _

“Holy shit Wade,” Heru rocked back on his heels, surprise etched into every feature, “is that what you think? Do you honestly think you and Bradley are the same?”

_ [Uh, where the hell has he been?] _

_ {You  _ are _ as bad as him} _

“I’ve hurt a lot of people. There was a period where I really just didn’t give a fuck who,” he confessed. It had only been in the last couple years he’d stopped killing on a daily basis, not caring who he was snuffing out as long as he got paid but he was attempting to be better now.

_ [And failing] _

_ {You’ll never be a hero, I don’t even know why you bother trying.} _

“‘Pool baby,” he moved closer, his hands hovering above Wade’s knees as he looked up at him, “you’re the most beautiful soul I’ll probably ever see,” he whispered and Wade snorted derisively.

“Please don’t patronize me,” he shook his head and leaned back.

_ [He’s twisted] _

_ {He’s clearly fucking with you} _

“Seriously!” he chewed on his lip ring, drawing his focus to the way it pulled from the bottom as it hooked on his teeth before he started talking again, “I’ve seen it all, I’m still processing it but I know… I know how many lives have ended at your hands,” the words were like knives, twisting in his gut and he had to fight back the tears of shame, he had killed a lot of innocent people and it didn’t matter how much the writers liked to make it seem like he didn’t care, he cared a fuck ton. Heru’s hands settled on his thighs, keeping him from moving away, “Wade, I’m sorry but I know the name of every person, directly and indirectly from every reality, every dimension and it is not even a fraction of the names of the lives that you have saved, that you  _ will _ save.”

_ [What now?] _

He narrowed his eyes, waiting for him to get to the punch line.

“I know how it weighs on you but in no reality are you on my list. You’re a good man Wade Wilson and you are not destined for an eternity of suffering,” he climbed into his lap, straddling him and cupping his masked face, forcing him to look at him. Wade searched his golden eyes for any sign that he was lying, for a hint of pity but there was nothing but affection, an almost desperate plea for him to believe him.

_ {You can’t believe him} _

“Trust me,” he whispered, leaning down to plant tender little kisses along his disfigured jaw, “I only deal in monsters, and you Mr. Wilson, are not a monster,” his mouth reached Wade’s and he pulled him into another kiss, this one slower and more languid but equally hungry. Caving in, he gripped his hips, his thumbs pressing into the dip of his pelvis, and he let the world dissolve around him.


	11. Chapter Eleven

### Chapter Eleven

**July 2, 1998** **  
****148 West 133rd St**

 **Harlem, New York City** **  
****1:13 AM** **  
****Heru**

“No more!” Heru cried, attempting to push the merc off of him as he tried to force feed him a pizza sandwich (two slices of pepperoni pizza with a slice of meat lovers between them), “it’s so gross!” he laughed, pinching his lips closed and turning his head away. Wade was practically on top of him as they struggled on the couch, _Call of Duty_ abandoned only a few minutes after starting a round and the focus was now entirely on trying to convince him to try ‘Wade’s Authentic Pizza Sandwich’. 

“Just one bite!” he argued and Heru shook his head, simply enjoying the feel of the other’s weight on him, horrifically aware of how touch starved he had become. 

“Never!” he laughed, attempting to wiggle away but resulted in Wade actually pinning him down, his entire body burying Heru’s on the couch.

_‘Is that a gun digging into our hip?’_

_[I doubt it]_

Heru pushed the offending food out of his face and distracted him with kisses instead. It didn’t take much for Wade to abandon the vile contraption to the floor, the leather of his suit creaking in the sudden silence as Heru pulled Wade’s lip between his teeth, biting it as he tugged on it. Wade moaned.

_ <You’re memorizing that sound, right?> _

_‘We should get that on a recording’_

“Ok,” he panted, pulling away after several minutes of heated kissing only to have Wade attack his neck, his lips already knowing exactly what to do to make him squirm, “slow your jets tiger,” he reluctantly said, actually pushing at his shoulders while resisting the urge to wrap his legs around him and pull him closer. He wanted to savor every moment and didn’t want to risk going too fast. Sex changed things, changed the way people felt about each other and in his experience things rarely changed for the better when sex was added to the equation. 

“Hmm?” Wade pulled back, his mask shoved up over his nose, his cheeks flushed and he could tell the mask was uncomfortable sitting like that. Heru wished he could pull it off.  
“I don’t have sex before the third date,” he told him, grinning. 

_[Or at least not for free]_

_ <Who are you kidding? We’d fuck him for free any day> _

“You’re a proper lady,” Wade teased and, reluctantly, pulled away, making a point to adjust his pants before sitting back in his seat and picking up his controller. Heru snorted and closed his eyes for a moment, cold in his absence and he sat up with a grunt, shifting awkwardly.

“I don’t think anyone who knew me would have ever described me that way,” he said with a laugh, “fuck,” he muttered and grabbed his mermaid bong. 

“Gasp, were you a slut in your human life?” he asked jokingly, reaching down to grab the discarded pizza.

“I swear to fuck Wade, if you eat that, I’m not kissing you again,” he said, a friendly warning as he packed the bowl. Wade pouted at him before grabbing the box and getting a new slice.

“Food waster,” he chided.

“These floors haven’t been cleaned in ages and while I might not shed skin cells and hair everywhere like _every other creature_ , there’s still a disgusting amount of dirt on them, also I’m pretty sure there’s a rat’s nest in that corner over there,” he said pointing at the furthest corner where there was a pile of torn clothing and shredded papers and took a rip, desperately wishing he could feel it, “it’s not so much about hygiene, but ew, can’t you taste the dirt?” he asked, a billowing cloud escaping his mouth.

“Mmm,” Wade shrugged a lazy shoulder, “just adds seasoning,” he winked and took the bong.

“‘Suppose so,” he shuddered and picked the pizza up, tossing it on the empty box, not caring about the smear of cheese and sauce on the floor. _ <Something for Louis over there.> _

“Damn,” he moaned as he exhaled, coughing slightly, “I can actually feel that shit, that’s good stuff,” he said before taking another hit.

“Grown in 2054, the best year for cannabis in all ‘verses, except that really wet version of Earth, the mildew man, the mildew. Anyway they perfected the growing techniques and were able to really isolate the cannabinoids. This shit is like, 60% THC,” he explained happily, continuing to clean up.

_‘Why are we cleaning?’_

_ <So we don’t have to focus on the sexual tension> _

_‘Ahh, smart plan’_

“I have no idea what any of those words mean but,” he exhaled again, filling the apartment with smoke, “the future sounds glorious.” Heru laughed, trying to remember what had been going on that year. Andreas had died only a mere twenty years before. He used Andreas’ death like humans used Christ’s. Before Andreas. After Death.

“It’s definitely interesting,” he agreed.

“So,” he started, handing the bong back and watching Heru go through his collection of games, “you said you were human, are all reapers human once?” 

“The human ones,” he answered, deciding on Super Smash Bros for the N64, tossing him a controller, “this is coming out next year,” he turned the PlayStation off and reconnected the Nintendo. 

“You mean other species can be reapers?” he asked as he caught the controller.

“Yea, infinite realities, lots of them don’t have humans in them,” he explained, “it’s not like there’s billions of us, but there’s only a few human reapers. Humans aren’t the most common species, so,” he shrugged and curled in next to Wade.

_[He’s a furnace]_

_{It feels amazing}_   
“How many of you are there?”

“Impossible for me to say,” he answered honestly, “not many though, less than a thousand probably,” he shrugged. He’d never really cared to find out, he probably could but that would mean completely embracing death and not having any semblance of a life _or a self_ . He was only partly aware of the other reapers and only personally knew five others. They were allusive by nature, working alone except in extraordinary situations like that time with the ancient Shinigami _[another reference to one of the writer’s original works, The Shinigami of Old]_.

_ <Nope, never going to let go!> _

_[You will eventually, they all do]_

“So all this stuff,” Wade gestured vaguely at the contents of his apartment, “it’s from when you were human?”

“Yep, mostly anyway,” he started the match, pausing to explain the purpose of the game and the controls. Yellow and White apparently had something to say about that, but he kept his eyes on the screen, selecting Link and waiting for Wade to pick his character.

“You don’t like talking about it do you?” he asked quietly, selecting Samus. Heru selected a random battle ground and looked up at him, smiling weakly.

“It’s not that I don’t like to talk about it, it’s just that,” he paused and looked at the screen as it counted down, “to be totally blunt, I haven’t exactly had anyone to talk to in… well not for a few hundred years and I’m out of practice and I’m not really sure how to talk about myself or how to go about asking you things,” he rambled.

_{So smooth}_

“Wait,” he paused the game just as it started and looked down at him incredulous, “you mean you haven’t had friends in a few hundred years or you’ve embraced the whole Howard Hughes policy and haven’t talked to a person in a few hundred years?” Heru laughed nervously.

_[Truth time]_

“I’ve talked to the people I reap, does that count?” he asked, glaring over his shoulder. Wade was very still next to him.

_{No fucktard, that doesn’t count}_

_‘Talking to your deathday presents while you torture them most definitely does not count’_

_ <What about us? Do we count> _

_[Someone shut that idiot up]_

“You haven’t talked to anyone living in…” Heru waited, expecting him to finish the sentence.

_‘He’s waiting for you to tell him numbnuts’_

“Oh, um,” he looked over at Past, _ <Relanni> _, “three hundred and forty six years.”

_Gods that’s actually kind of embarrassing. Is that the only way to tell time anymore? Since someone I loved died?_

“Why?” he asked, restarting the game and turning back to it. Heru frowned at him and turned back to the screen as well. 

“Why what?”

“Why did you break your silence to talk to me?” he questioned and he wasn’t sure if he was looking at him or not.

“Because you’re fucking Deadpool,” he scoffed, “that’d be like passing on the opportunity to meet Chuck! And also it would have been rude not to say anything to you when you showed up on the roof.”

_‘Oh shit did we just say that out loud??’_

_ <Abort! Abort!> _

“Chuck?” Samus ran off the edge of the cliff and Heru looked over to see Wade staring at him, his mouth turned down at the corners and frowning at him.

“A god,” he watched Samus fall off again and glanced sideways at him, “I may have underplayed how big of a fan I am,” Heru admitted, “but this isn’t like some weird antihero fantasy or anything, you’re not like, one of my kinks or anything. Although there was that time at Vegas Con and there were these three Deadpool cosplayers and Drea and I were in Spider-Man cosplay and well,” he grinned at him, “it was an epic crossover,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows and trying to defuse the tension. Wade was still staring at him, Yellow and White flashing wildly.

 _{Fucking lair}_ Yellow flashed

 _[Did he seriously just compare you to a god?]_ White added and Heru drew in a deep breath.

_‘Should we ignore what they’re saying?’_

_{I vote yes, none of your business}_

Heru leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his frown before turning back to the game, “so you realize that Bradley is going to come after you now, right?” he asked, deciding to change the topic entirely and not talk about his mild hero worshiping and act as if he hadn’t just caused an emotional shit storm for him. 

**July 2, 1998** **  
****148 West 133rd St**

 **Harlem, New York City** **  
****1:43 AM** **  
****Wade**

_{Fucking liar}_

_[Did he seriously just compare you to a god?]_

Wade’s brain was having too much of a freak out to form words and before he could get his mouth to open, Heru had changed the subject, his beautiful sharp cheekbones a faint pink.

“Yea,” he managed to squeak and cleared his throat, turning back to the game. His character had died five times. 

_[He can’t be serious right? Like this is some kind of sick joke right guys?]_

_{You’re not special, don’t start thinking you are! You’re a sack of shit and you know it}_

_Three hundred and forty six years. Three fucking hundred and forty fucking six years._

“Have you found out anything about a project he’s been working on for the last couple years?” Heru asked, his attention entirely on the game. 

_Three hundred and forty six years._

_[Say something stupid!]_

_{Hellooooo, he’s talking to you!! Anyone in there?}_

“Project?” he gave his head a hard shake, determined to lock away whatever chaos of emotion was happening because he wanted to cry and beg for this beautiful creature to never leave him while also wanting him to get the fuck away because obviously it was a trick, no one, _no one_ , who knew what he looked like and knew all the shitty things he’d done could possibly look at him and see anything but a monster. He happily grasped onto the new subject, “no, nothing like that, why?” he watched as his character fell off again. _Fuck this game_.

“Shit,” Heru chewed on his lip, “I don’t know, maybe I’m supposed to tell him. No. That’s not fair,” he muttered and Wade waited, knowing he wasn’t actually talking to him, “fine! I won’t! Fuck…” he shook his head and sighed heavily, “so I can’t say anything but you should look for it,” he paused and looked around the room real quickly, his eyes panicked as he leaned closer and whispered, “Zion.”

“Zion?” he quickly tried to think if he’d heard of the name before but came up with nothing, “I’ll look into it,” he said with a yawn, the adrenaline rush Heru had provided was beginning to wear off. 

“Ok,” he nodded and continued to mutter under his breath, too quiet for him to pick out more than a handful of words. Heru started a new round, giving him a minute to try out a new character, he went with Princess Peach. 

She turned out to be a fucking useless character, much to his annoyance since she was one of his favorites. They played several more rounds and Wade finally got used to the button combos. They talked about Bradley and Wade asked a million questions, until Heru got so frustrated with whatever voices he was hearing that he started freezing mid sentence, his entire body locking, not even breathing. After he’d been frozen for a full minute he stopped asking them. He steered the conversation into safer waters and told him about his meet up with Spidey earlier that night which led to him telling him about their most recent team-up. He made several innuendos about Wade and Spider-Man _{we would be down for that} [Don’t think we missed that Vegas Con story]_ and even almost outed Spidey by mistake. He’d quickly told him he didn’t know his secret identity and Heru muttered apologies, explaining he couldn’t remember when he would find out in this reality. 

_[Good to know Spidey eventually trusts us enough]_

At four, Wade decided to call it a night. They were in the kitchen, cleaning up the numerous boxes and he’d just finished putting the wings in the fridge when Heru’s fingers looped around his belt and pulled him close. 

“Text me tomorrow?” Heru asked, looking up at him with those big brown eyes and Wade let himself melt into them a little.

“Of course sweetums,” he smiled, leaning down and planting several kisses all over his face, making him chuckle and seek out his mouth with his own. Wade slipped his arms around him, pulling him against him, this was heaven. Heru grumbled in complaint when he pulled away and forced himself to step back.

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, walking him to the door and pulling him in for another kiss before pushing him out and into the hallway. Wade stood there, staring at the closed door for several seconds. 

_[I think he’s broken]_

_{At the very least, stalled}_

_I’m fine,_ he muttered, quickly rolling down his mask and headed home, his thoughts still racing. Three hundred and forty six years without talking to a single living soul? How was that even possible? 

_[Didn’t he say he had a day job?]_

_{You should ask him about that, seems suspicious}_

_He probably just meant he hadn’t had a real conversation in that time, not a total vow of silence_. 

_{I don’t know, but at some point reality is going to hit him and he’s going to look at you and realize he’s made a huge fucking mistake}_

_[Yea, I’m afraid I have to go with Yellow on this one]_

He walked the few blocks to his apartment and took the stairs two at a time. He opened his door and went inside, closing it behind him. And that’s when everything went sideways. Literally. And also misty.

The last thing he heard was a massive explosion and he felt his body ripped apart as he was thrown against the door, flames licking at the remaining skin. He fell to the floor and tried to look down at himself through the cloud of smoke and dust. 

_[Yep, that’s what I thought]_

_{Ah fack}_

He had no limbs and he was pretty sure those twisted black bits of charcoal were his intestines. He gritted his teeth, grateful all his nerves had been burned to ash, but equally dreading growing them back. 

_[What was that?!]_

_{A bomb stupid!}_

_Shut up,_ he growled and strained to listen. He definitely heard voices, and not of the screaming variety but the kind that were way too calm and organized after a bomb just went off. 

_{Well shit sticks}_

He groaned and looked down, still waiting for his body to reform, at least his lungs had grown back, but it was too slow, too slow! He waited anxiously, the voices getting closer. Some fractured part of his mind screaming in fury at his helplessness.

“Where the hell is he?” one of them said, green lights appearing in little lasers as several people clad all in black, their faces covered and eyes hidden behind goggles as they swept the room, clearly looking for him.

“Marco!” he provided for them, watching as all the green lasers landed on him, “hi Polo,” he grinned.

“Oh Jesus,” one said, quickly turning and puking. The other three looked like they were about to lose their spaghettios too.

“That’s right, let it all out,” Wade encouraged, “there ya go, that’s a champ!” he said as they straightened and rolled their mask back over their mouth.

“He looks like Korean BBQ,” one of them gagged.

“I’m telling you, if this is what your BBQ looks like, you’re eating at the wrong restaurants,” he remarked, one of them tried to stifle a laugh and snorted instead, “aw, I’m going to have to kill you but thanks for the laugh, means a lot.”

“Grab the bag,” another said, the one in charge.

“When I grow my fugly body back, I’m gonna to kill you first,” he told him, glaring up at him and grunting as someone grabbed a heavy duty trash bag and began attempting to put him in it. He was nothing but a head, shoulders and a little bit of torso, his spine and ribs reforming rapidly but not fast enough. 

“Shut up,” he barked and lifted, the bag ripped at the bottom and Wade fell to the floor, “god dammit!”

“Fuck Frank! Hurry up!” the leader shouted angrily, “get another bag.”

“Don’t get mad!” Wade chimed, “get glad, with easy wrap garbage bags!” He was regenerating faster, the initial shock over and he could feel little arms, “oh you’re going to regret this Frank,” he said as Frank tried once more to put him in a bag, “I mean, seriously guys? A _garbage_ bag? Did someone forget to order body bags? I demand to speak with your manager!” he shouted.

“Fuck this is so creepy,” one of them complained, “can’t we just shoot him to make him stop talking?”

“Oh that won’t work honey,” he said knowingly, “I’ve been known to keep talking even when my head’s not attached to anything anymore! Besides, this is going to be over real soon,” he added. The leader held his gun to his face, “oh for f-” everything went black. 

_[It’s peaceful you know]_

_{Kind of like sensory deprivation}_

_[Yea, all floaty and shit]_

_{Until that}_

His nerves were regrowing and Wade’s eyes flew open as blinding pain exploded through his body. He was tied up, a hood over his head and his skin was on _fucking fire_ . It was hard to focus past the pain but he was used to it and quickly did an inventory. Arms, legs, yes, good. Fingers, toes, excellent. Naked, could be better. Restrained with, his fingers felt around the bindings on his wrists, leather restraints. _Kinky_. They were moving and he guessed they were in a vehicle of some kind and judging by the jostling they were going pretty fast. 

_Let’s do this_ , he began twisting his wrists, pulling beyond the pain as freshly healed bones broke once more, his metacarpal and metacarpus in each hand snapping into bits as he continued to twist, his shoulders and left elbow dislocating from the effort. It took a few minutes but he managed to slide the cuffs off. He held onto them with a middle finger so they wouldn’t fall noisily to the floor. He gave his hands time to heal, he’d need them. They made a sharp turn and he went falling across the floor. 

“Who taught you how to drive?” he called out, ripping the hood from his head and quickly assessing the room.

“Shit!” Mr. Boss Man shouted, “shoot him!” Several guns were fired and Wade threw himself on the nearest person, Frank. He grabbed his head and smashed it into the floor repeatedly, his anger momentarily getting the best of him as he turned the guy’s head into a mashed potato, ignoring the bullets ripping through him. 

“Baby he’s dead,” Heru whispered from beside him and his head snapped up, staring into his face without the security of his mask for the first time. 

_{Fuck!}_

He didn’t say anything, just growled and turned around. He grabbed the gun from Mr. Pukey and yanked forward, pulling them out of their seat and positioning his knee to collide with their face. He felt their nose break and a few teeth get stuck in his knee cap. He pointed the gun at the other two, firing a single head shot into each of their stupid faces before pointing it at the driver.

“Sorry Mr. Boss Man, I lied, I kill you last,” he snarled, firing, blood splattered across the windshield, blocking the view of the oncoming bridge. Heru reaped the driver, watching Wade with some expression that he couldn't read, not while he was all… veiny. The van swerved, throwing him off balance and into the side as it hit a curb and rolled. It slid for several meters. When it came to a stop, he was tangled up with a bunch of other limbs and someone’s foot was somewhere where no feet should ever go. He groaned and climbed out, crawling out of the driver’s window, the glass tearing his barely regrown skin. He collapsed to the ground in a bloody, charred heap. His head and upper torso were still extra crispy, his body only now just getting to healing his skin, the rest of him covered in blood as the wounds healed. 

“Baby,” Heru’s voice was gentle and nervous from beside him, hesitant. Wade kept his head down, panting as his body pushed out over two dozen bullets, the nerves sewing themselves together and everything was white, white with burning pain, “just breathe,” he whispered and he was so grateful Heru had the sense not to touch him. Other people always tried to touch him when he was regenerating, trying to offer comfort but only a few people knew what it was like to recover from that level of damage. Wolverine got it, not like he would have tried to comfort him in the first place though. 

“I’m ok,” he said at last, still keeping his head down, unsure of how to proceed. He was naked. Heru was here, seeing him naked. He had hoped that wasn’t ever going to happen, or at the very least, not for a while, not until he had more memories to think about after since Heru would obviously leave. And he had imagined it would be in a dark room, with no lights so he wouldn’t have to see his ugly ass and Wade wouldn’t have to see the look of disgust on that pretty face. Instead he was naked, under a street lamp, and no sexy times were about to be had. 

“We should get out of here,” he said quietly and Wade nodded, still working up the courage, “just wait here for a second,” he told him and he just nodded again. 

_{Of course he’s going to just sit here, he’s obviously too much of a coward to move}_

He could hear Heru rummaging in the van and muttering. He came back a few minutes later, humming happily as he knelt back down. Wade flinched as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Heru quickly pulled his hand away. It hadn’t hurt, he was almost fully healed, he just hadn’t expected Heru to touch him at all, not when he looked like this.

_[Fucking monster]_

“It’s ok,” he mumbled, trying to avoid falling into the gaping hole of despair that strangely enough, being blown up tended to send him into.

“Here,” he put a handful of black clothes beside him, “there’s a mask there too, if you want it although, it’s kind of gross. It was the nicest one left, but you did kill them all with head shots except that one that’s just unconscious, that’s his mask. Here’s a bandanna,” he handed him a bright yellow bandanna from his pocket, “personally, I could stay here all night staring into those eyes of yours but I think you might be a bit cold,” he rambled cheerily, stepping away and turning around to allow him the dignity of getting dressed.

“Thanks sugar plum,” he staggered to his feet, grabbing Heru’s shoulder for balance. He didn’t turn around, just stuck out his arm and covered his hand with his own. Wade squeezed it as he regained his balance and hastily dressed. The clothes were covered in blood but relatively clean, and he figured Mr. Unconscious was missing a little more than his mask. The mask on the other hand, was disgusting and covered in the guy’s blood, a tooth stuck to it. 

_{Yea, bandanna for sure}_

He tied the bright fabric around his face, just under his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Best it’s gonna get.

“So, how do I look?” he asked, striking a sexy pose against the van and giving Heru his best ‘come hither’ eyes. Heru grinned that stupid grin that made Wade’s knees weak.

“Fabulous,” he breathed and for a split second Wade almost believed he was genuinely breath taken.

_[Hahahaha!]_

_{Omg, you’re hilarious}_

“Hey pumpkin,” he said, pushing off the van and draping his arm around Heru, “think I could stay at your place for a bit? Mine’s feeling a bit cramped.”

**Souls Collected:**

**Francis Kodak**

Age 28

Died July 2, 4:59 AM

Murdered, blunt force trauma

**Indi Graham**

Age 44

Died July 2, 5:00 AM

Murdered, GSW

**Cohen Smith**

Age 38

Died July 2, 5:00 AM

Murdered, GSW

**Wilbert Watson**

Age 51

Died July 2, 5:00 AM

Murdered, GSW


	12. Chapter Twelve

###  Chapter Twelve

**July 2, 1998** **  
** **148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **5:30 AM** **  
** **Wade**

It took them over an hour and a half to get to Heru’s apartment. Apparently, Heru wasn’t able to teleport with a ‘corporal body’. He had explained why, rambling on for a good twenty minutes, talking about something called the Between, but Wade hadn’t been listening. It always took him a little while to get over the crushing disappointment of not dying after being unalived unexpectedly, despite knowing death wasn’t possible, and he suspected Heru was only rambling about it in an attempt to distract him. He was also trying to shake off that broken part of him that had been terrified of becoming a lab experiment again. It didn’t exactly help, but he appreciated the thought and distracted himself with thoughts about what he was going to do to Bradley for blowing up his apartment. When they finally got to the apartment, he’d guided him to the shower, leaving him to clean up while he ran out to hunt for a blanket and pillow. The water was painful at first, his skin still too sensitive.

_ [It’s not something one ever  _ _ really _ _ gets used to] _ White commented as he watched the blood stained water run down the drain, little bits of charred flesh that had stuck to the new skin pooled around his feet and he kicked them down the drain.

_ {Just like our feelings} _

He’d learned that reapers didn’t sleep, which explained the lack of a bed, but also meant Heru was ill equipped to host a human who very much wanted to sleep. When he reluctantly left the hot shower he wrapped the new bath towel around himself, attempting to cover as much as possible, he came out to find the couch made up into a bed. A bright canary yellow sheet had been draped over it and a fleece Pokemon blanket was folded in the center, a matching pillow on top. 

Heru was sitting at the table, his back to the bathroom and therefore to Wade. He walked over to him and slipped his hands over his shoulders and bent down to plant a kiss on the top of his head. Heru bent his head back, his eyes closed and Wade kissed him.

“Thanks boo, for letting me crash here” he said appreciatively and went to the couch.

“ _ Mi casa es tu casa, novio _ ,” he chimed happily. He dropped the towel and shook out the blanket, crawling under it. Heru had stayed at the table, his gaze focused on the opposite wall and giving Wade the privacy he knew he wanted. He wasn’t ready to be naked in front of him, despite the fact that he was a couple hours ago. It was one thing to be forced into being naked and exposing his hideous self, it was an entirely different thing to walk around the apartment naked and he appreciated that Heru understood that. He was still waiting for him to be disgusted, for him to show any signs that he was repulsed but every time those intense eyes landed on him, there was nothing but affection in them. 

_ {With a dash of insanity} _

_ [And that special murderous glint] _

“I have to work throughout the night,” Heru said, turning to him now that Wade had burritoed himself in the deliciously soft blanket and grinning at the sight, “I’ll be in and out all night,” he got up and walked over and leaned on the back of the couch, “but I’ll try to be quiet and not wake you up,” he said, leaning in and tucking the blanket away enough that he could kiss him. He’d vanished before they’d separated, Wade’s lips still tingling as he stared at the empty space that had been Heru.

_ {Hell of an exit} _

_ [Now that he’s gone, shall we resume our previous conversation about how you’re just a freak show that he’s visiting to pass the time?] _

_ {Yes, let’s!} _

“How about we don’t and say we did?” he suggested, throwing himself down and attempting to get comfortable. The couch was long enough that he wasn’t sticking off the edge, but it was still too narrow and he felt like he was going to roll off if he moved too much. Sleep eventually came, in fitfulls, laced with vague nightmares filled with him suffocating, cruel laughter and pain. 

Wade woke up disoriented and for a minute he had no idea where he was, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling  _ [where’s our constellations of blood splatter?] _ . The numbness in his left arm from being squished between him and the back of the couch reminded him he was at Heru’s. He rubbed his face and sat up, Charmander falling and pooling in his lap. He glanced over to see his suit with a sticky note stuck to the mask. He grabbed the two slips of paper stuck together,

_ Morning roomie _

_ Went to your place after you passed out. Found this in a fireproof safe. Also, Bea and Arthur survived! Grabbed these on the way back, more comfy for around the house. _

_ I’m working all day today but I’ll come by for dinner.  _

_ XoX _

Wade read the note and smiled, his thumb running against the words. There were little hearts beside roomie and a little drawing of Bea and Arthur with a stickman Deadpool dancing. 

_ He’s fucking adorable _ . Beside his ‘in case my apartment gets blown up suit’  _ [this wasn’t the first time it’d happened] _ was a clean pair of sweatpants, a ridiculously soft cotton t-shirt and a zip-up hoodie. Bea and Arthur were leaning against the coffee table, a katana cleaning kit with the initials  _ A.K. _ carved into the wooden lid sat next to them. They were scorched, their sayas blackened and ruined but when he pulled them free, there was nothing a little tender love and cleaning wouldn’t fix. He set them back down on the coffee table and dressed in the sweats. He grabbed the garlic bread box from the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table in front of Heru’s fancy ass computer.

Chewing on the stale bread, he turned the machine on and waited. He had originally planned to visit Margaret’s but he figured that would be an unwise move considering Bradley was likely watching the place. He hoped Weas would be ok. Instead, he figured the best thing he could do would be to do more research. He hated research, preferred to get his information by knocking skulls together but he needed a place to start and that meant contacting his hacker buddy to see if he’d made any progress breaching Kenal Industries’ mainframe. 

  
  


**July 2, 1998** **  
** **267 5th Ave, New York City** **  
** **1:30 PM**

**Heru**

Heru was bored and growing impatient. He’d spent the night in various time zones, reaping a few more of Bradley’s victims but also a handful of others on his list but he’d been back for an hour and was finding it difficult to sit still. The last few Deathday presents he’d had, he had been able to play with a lot more aggressively leading up to their due dates. He typically kidnapped them, picking individuals who were on his list who wouldn’t be missed for a few weeks before showing up dead and spent the weeks leading up to their deaths torturing them both psychologically and physically. 

_ <In case it wasn’t established enough, he’s a sick fuck> _

If Bradley went missing, however, he would be missed and there were events that he still had to set in motion, things his presence was required for that had to happen, couldn’t be altered and so Heru had to wait. There was the additional issue of the smell of humanity on himself that was getting stronger and harder to ignore. He hadn’t intended to get Deadpool involved.

_ <Sorry, not sorry> _

_ [You’re not human] _

He looked over at Bradley who was sitting at his desk, working on Project Infano, dutifully ignoring the hallucination of the girl in the corner Heru was projecting for him. The man had a high tolerance for psychological warfare, despite the progress he’d made so far. His temper was frayed, he was exhausted, unable to sleep from the nightmares and he was becoming increasingly paranoid, but he was a high functioning psychopath with ambition. That winning personality combo had not only kept him alive, but had brought him everything he had ever wanted and more. It wasn’t about to crack under a couple weeks of light stalker foreplay. A man like Bradley deserved Heru’s best but he couldn’t give it yet. He slouched further in the chair, pulling out his cell phone and opening a game of Candy Crush. Project Infano was the main reason Heru had been relegated to sidelines, and the main reason his insides were a twisted mess.

_ <We should warn Pool> _

_ {We can’t} _

_ ‘This is going to destroy him’ _

_ [And make him see you for what you are] _

_ “I’m not a monster,”  _ he snapped.

_ <Yea, you are, just ask your mother> _

Heru winced at the words, trying to focus on the stupid candy on his screen, looking for more patterns and ignoring his own hallucinations. He glared over at Bradley, hatred seeping through his entire being. Why had he picked him for a present? 

_ [Regretting getting involved so soon?] _

_ Shut up. _ He clenched his jaw.  _ Project Infano _ -a fixed point in time that would determine the future of a hundred worlds, more lives than he could count would be affected. He couldn’t tell Wade, it had to happen, an event so horrible brought on by a few people so terrible they had earned their names on his list. It would be years before anyone knew just how big of an impact it had and it was one of the reasons he had chosen Alexander. No one would know just how much blood was really on his hands. 

_ ‘Except now you’ve grown close to a human involved’ _

_ {I told you this wouldn’t be good} _

_ He’ll understand _ , or so he hoped he would. Heru looked up from his game and glared at Bradley. He was starting to wonder if he’d made a mistake picking him.

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **7:30 PM** **  
** **Heru**

“Lucy, I’m home!” Heru called as he appeared in the kitchen. Wade gave a startled cry, the set of tongs in his hand went flying and Heru stared at him from the end of glock 17.

“Oh hey sweetums,” he grinned as he placed the gun on the counter and went in search of the tongs, “how was your day?”

“Where did you…” he trailed off, looking around the apartment and blinking rapidly. It looked like he robbed a military bunker, there were guns  _ everywhere _ , “when the hell did this happen? Did you rob a military bunker?” he gaped at him.

“What?” Wade picked up the tongs and went back to moving the dumplings around the frying pan, looking over at him and only after staring into his eyes for a moment, noticing the slightly milky shade of his one eye did he realize that he wasn’t wearing his mask, “ooooh the guns? Weasel stopped by, brought you some housewarming gifts,” he gestured at an Benelli Black Eagle and a Glock 17, each with a bow around the barrel, “I told him I was staying with a friend who had just moved to the city from a small farm in Kansas,” he shrugged, “and he brought me some ‘I’m sorry you’re apartment blew up and there’s a massive bounty on you’ gifts that cost a pretty penny. Do you think Hallmark has a card for that yet?”

“I see,” he reached out and pulled Wade away from the stove, his other hand reaching up to bring his head down for a kiss, “you can keep the guns but tell Weasel thank you,” he said after pulling away and staring up at him.

_ <Perfection> _

“Roger that,” Wade said, his voice hoarse and eyes wide with fear but Heru just kissed him again, rubbing his thumb against his cheek before pulling away and sniffing the air.

“I think you’re burning the gyoza,” he said and Wade spun around.

“Shit!” he hastily removed the pan and started flipping the stuffed wontons before putting the pan back, “ah fack well they’re going to be extra crispy,” he said with a sigh. Heru sat down at the table, looking at the pages Wade had printed. He’d been busy apparently. 

“How was your day?” he asked,  _ {it’s all going to come crashing down}. _

“I’ve got a few leads,” he answered, opening the empty fridge and Heru was surprised to see a smattering of groceries and assumed he’d made a trip to the store, “I’ve got my feelers out, I’ve offered a couple of my techy contacts an incentive in the size of three million smack-a-roons to get me a copy of Kenal’s database as well as Bradley’s personal data. Should hear back in the next couple days,” he told him, moving about the kitchen as he finished cooking and began setting the table,  _ [how very domestic and human of him] _ , “Weasel let me know that there’s a bounty on me, guess Bradley wasn’t just going to walk away from the other night and was a little sour over me shooting him,” he said thoughtfully.

“Yea,” Heru laughed, “he really wasn’t pleased, you cost him over three billion dollars,” he told him proudly as he put the bowl of dumplings down.

“I’m a regular old Robin Hood! Except with guns and I kill a fuck ton more people,” he sat down and handed Heru a set of disposible chopsticks. He guessed he picked up the plastic plates when he’d grabbed groceries since Heru only had the two glasses (which he bought when he’d bought the rye), a blender (which wasn’t actually his and was left by the previous tenant, he’d cleaned the weird fuzz off) and a fork (also left by the previous tenant).

“My hero,” he hummed, grinning at him, “thanks for making dinner,” he broke apart his chopsticks.

_ {I forgot what it was like to eat food so much} _

_ [Mortals are constantly eating] _ He had mostly stopped eating, taking his sustenance from those he reaped instead of food.

“Well I went through the pizza left overs by noon and holy shit, why don’t you have any dishes? Also, why is the only thing in your fridge pineapple juice and coconut milk? You seriously need to learn how to grocery shop and maybe get some dishes,” he scolded, dumping some soya sauce on his plate and then piling it with dumplings. 

“I don’t actually need to eat, I didn’t think I’d need dishes,” he answered, “and I kind of love pina coladas, they were one of my favorite drinks, hence the Kraken,” he ate a dumpling in one bite, chewing the crunchy deliciousness.

“Right,” he nodded, needing no further explanation, White and Yellow flashing over his shoulders.

“So how much is the bounty?” Heru asked, curious to know what Bradley would offer.

“Well, it’s two mil if I’m dead with proof of my death, so not gonna happen,” he gesticulated with his chopsticks, a dumpling help precariously in them as he flung soya sauce, “but it’s one mil if they just capture me and bring me in,” he finished sounding a little salty.

“Huh,” Heru made a disappointed face, “are you a little insulted it’s so low?”

“Uh, yea,” he shoved the dumpling in his mouth, “I mean,” he continued as he chewed, “he paid me five mil to take you out, but now he’s getting stingy?” he added another dumpling to the first in his mouth.

“Maybe you’ve cost him enough already,” he suggested, pushing the rest of the dumplings towards Wade and leaning back, “he probably doesn’t want to lose more.”

“Mm,” he nodded in agreement, “also probably knows there ain’t a lot of mercs who would take the gig. I’m kind of infamous, you know,” he grinned proudly around his chipmunk cheeks, “don’t matter anyway, no one’s gonna get their hands on me and soon, I’m going to have everything I need to take that bastard down.”

They finished dinner, leaving the pan on the stove and the paper dishes stacked by the garbage to play a few rounds of Mario Kart on the Switch. Wade talked a lot and Heru mostly listened. He talked about everything from his favorite games and restaurants to opening up about some of the things he’d seen working for Weapon X and how all of the things with Bradley was beginning to remind him of it. 

_ {He has no idea what’s coming} _

He lamented the loss of a number of belongings that the explosion had destroyed and neither of them talked about the people who had died because of it.

_ ‘More people who wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t gotten involved’ _

“Oh!” Wade reached under the couch and pulled Bae and Arthur out, they were tucked inside new scabbards, “Weasel brought me some new sayas,” he freed Bae and the sound was like music, she glinted beautifully and Heru smiled happily, “where’d you get that kit? I don’t know many people who would have a traditional katana cleaning kit,” Wade asked curiously, handing him Bae and he pulled the wooden box out from under the coffee table. Heru held the katana gingerly, his finger sliding along the edge, his eyes following Wade’s movements and landing on the initials on the kit.

“It belonged to my brother… well, he wasn’t actually my brother and it’s always felt weird to call him that,” he rambled.

“You were close?” Wade asked, his hesitant eyes watching Heru curiously.

“Very,”  _ <He was the only thing that mattered> _ Heru handed him the sword back, “he had a pension for blades, mostly throwing knives but he had a katana that he loved as much as you love Bae and Arthur,” he told him, his mind flashing to Andreas laying in his coffin, flesh rotting as dead hands held the sword, he quickly gave his head a shake.

“What happened?” he questioned as he leaned the swords against the coffee table and squeezed Heru’s knee before hitting play and returning to the game. 

“He died,” he stated but when Wade said nothing further, he reluctantly went on, “he was buried with his katana, Samantha,” he smiled as he said the name, “he died after a fight with another telepath. Psychic shock, it gets most telepaths in the end.”

“Was he your only brother?” he threw a green shell that hit Heru, sending his character crashing into a wall.

“No, technically I have one other adopted brother, Andrew,” he glared at the screen, his character was now in last place, “and I considered Saber and Orpheus brothers too, at least while I was still mostly human.”

“I guess they’ve been gone for awhile?” he remarked quietly but Heru shook his head.

“Andreas was the only mortal, everyone else is still alive, I think anyway, it’s been awhile since I went home,” he tried to remember when Saber’s death was, (he was next to go), somewhere around 2890, “yea Saber’s still alive.”

“Really?” Wade looked at him, surprise etched into his scared face, “I would have thought… you said you hadn’t talked to anyone in three hundred years… are they all reapers?”

“No, no, just not human. I don’t go home often,” he said with a shrug, his insides beginning to twist.

“Why not?” he asked, shooting his arms in the air as he crossed the finish line, placing first.

_ [Because he’s the villain?] _

_ <Because it was torture being there without Andreas> _

“They’re heroes,” he said with a forced smile, placing fourth.  _ And they wouldn’t approve of who I’ve become,  _ “and it’s not like our conversations are great. Hey Heru! How goes the death business? People still dying? It gets old real fast,” he imitated and Wade laughed.

“Guess you have a point,” he conceded and tossed the controller on the table, lunging at Heru and pinning him to the couch. He laughed and wrapped his arms around his neck.

_ <Click click click!> _

“How about you?” he asked, staring up at him and planting a kiss on his chin, memorizing every inch of his face, “do you have any siblings?”

“Nope,” he kissed his nose, “only child to an alcoholic, infomercial shopping addicted mama,” he said and Heru frowned at him, that wasn’t what he saw when he looked at Wade’s past, “ok so maybe I don’t remember or want to remember,” he admitted, burying his face in Heru’s neck, his lips brushing against his collarbone and making him forget all about their conversation.

“Mmm,” he murmured, his hands sliding down Wade’s chest and unzipping the hoodie, he wrapped a leg around his waist and pulled him closer. Wade grabbed both of his hands with one of his and pulled away enough to look at him with that look that made Heru’s heart break into a million pieces. He understood why, he remembered just how limited human beauty aesthetics were and how he himself had agonized over it but he’d seen enough of the universe to know that smooth skin was hardly the golden standard of beauty.

“Not yet blueberry,” he murmured, pinning Heru’s hands above his head and distracting him with a kiss, his scared tongue causing an explosion of impossible sensations in his mouth. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes a sex scene...or is a sex scene. Feel free to skip or just read the dialogue to avoid missing anything.

###  Chapter Thirteen

**July 2, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **10:09 PM** **  
** **Wade**

He kept Heru’s hands pinned above him, loving the way it arched the smaller man’s back as he breathed him in. Kissing him was different, he had no saliva, instead his mouth perpetually felt like he’d just swallowed and everything had frozen. He didn’t have a dry mouth, it was still soft and velvety but was slick and it was cooler than a human body, not so cold that he felt like he was kissing a corpse, but just a few degrees cooler than himself. He leaned more of his body against Heru’s, savoring the way his body felt underneath him while memorizing every detail about his mouth.

_ {Spank bank material} _

With his free hand, he pushed Heru’s cotton candy blue shirt up, exposing his smooth golden stomach and he trailed his fingers across the cool skin, his thumb brushing against a nipple ring.

_ [How delightful] _

Heru squirmed, arching his back even more so that Wade could pull his shirt over his head, keeping his wrists still tangled in the shirt as he lowered his head. He kissed along his neck and shoulder, noticing for the first time the thin white scar that went from his right pulse point across his neck and up under his left earlobe. Heru shuddered and whimpered, his leg sliding down to hook around his thigh.

“Wade,” he breathed, his name coming out as a sigh that only encouraged him further down and tugged on his right nipple, pulling on the piercing with his teeth and making him whimper again. 

_ [If he hasn’t talked to someone in over three hundred years… I wonder how long it’s been since he’s been touched] _

Judging by the way his body twitched at almost every touch, he guessed it had been a very, very long time. He let his free hand wander across his body, fingers exploring each curve and he was surprised to see little white scars scattered across his chest and stomach.

_ {Holy shit that’s a lot of scars} _

_ [Doesn’t hold a light to ours but still] _

“What happened?” he asked, brushing his lips over one that was well over five centimeters long and immediately regretted it. Heru’s body went rigid as he froze and Wade looked up at him, kicking himself. He should have recognized them.

_ [Wow, good job, way to kill the mood] _

_ {‘Cus you just love it when people ask  _ you _ about  _ your _ scars} _

“I was stabbed,” he replied after a few seconds and he started to breathe again, “all of these scars,” he looked down at his chest, “except the one on my left hip are from a disgruntled client. I think I was… seventeen and it was one of the last times I would die,” he explained and Wade relaxed a little, there wasn’t any anger in his voice, just a vague cold detached kind of sadness he knew all too well.

“Client?” he asked curiously, running a tongue along the scar on his left hip, abandoning his grip on his wrists so that he could explore more of him.

“I was a hooker for most of my human life,” he admitted, not a hint of shame in his voice and Wade looked up at him from where he was currently biting his adorable skull and crossbones belly ring. He was looking down at him, his eyes lidded and cheeks flushed, dark eyes flecked with golden flames.

“A pro huh?” his lips traveled across his hips, nipping at the curve, his tongue sliding along the dip.

_ [Don’t think about the fact that he just admitted to being an under-aged prostitute] _

_ {Or the fact that he just told you one of his Johns murdered him} _

_ [Definitely not] _

“Mm,” he bucked his hips, making the boxes shut up and his legs coming up to wrap around him just under his armpits. He squeezed in a deliciously painful way as he pulled him up so that he could kiss him. Wade ran a hand down his leg, squeezing the inside of his thigh as he leaned over him.

“Have we had a third date yet?” he asked breathlessly, glad he wasn’t wearing his suit as he grinded against Heru’s ass. Heru laughed and shook his shirt from his hands so that he could run his fingers across Wade’s scalp, trailing his fingertips over the bumpy skin and stopping behind his neck, his fingers just below the collar of his shirt.

_ [Don’t think about what it feels like for him] _

_ {No wonder he doesn’t mind your fugly face, he’s a professional, he knows how to not show his disgust} _

Wade buried his face in Heru’s shoulder, wrapping his arms underneath him and trying to block out the boxes, sinking his teeth into his shoulder muscle while running his tongue over the skin. 

“Shut up Yellow,” Heru growled viciously and Wade’s head snapped up, nearly pulling a muscle in his neck. He hadn’t acknowledged the boxes in awhile and he’d started to wonder if he’d hallucinated Heru being able to see them, “sorry,” he quickly apologized, looking at Wade’s chest and picking at a piece of lint, “it’s just… that’s not true,” he mumbled.

“What isn’t true sweetums?” he questioned, ignoring the boxes.

_ {Did he just tell me to shut up?! Does he want a piece of this!? HUH!? I’ll fuck him up!} _

“That I’m hiding my disgust,” he smoothed, “I really do think you’re beautiful Wade Wilson,” he murmured, raising a hand to trace his features and Wade had to fight every instinct to pull away, to shove him away and yell at him for lying.

“I think you need new eyes,” he replied instead, going in for another kiss but Heru put a finger to his lips, pushing him back.

“I’m serious,” he insisted, his Indigenous features even clearer this close up and he wanted to tell him how beautiful  _ he _ was, but the finger pressed against his lip and the fire in his eyes told him not to move, “I adore your body,” he whispered, pressing feather light kisses to his face, “and I want to burn every inch of you into my memory because there are few things in this universe as glorious as you,” he finished, “so unless Yellow or White would like to take the argument up with me personally, they’d better keep their ink to themselves,” he ordered and kissed him fiercely, biting his lip as he pulled away and making Wade moan and the boxes go silent.

“Yes sir,” he murmured, allowing Heru’s hands to slide inside his hoodie and up his shirt. He might not be completely convinced, but he didn’t have the strength to argue anymore. He was tired of hating himself, it was practically a full time job and he could pretend just for a minute that Heru was telling him the truth. Their kissing grew more heated and there weren’t any further thoughts or questions, there was only the feel of soft skin under his rough fingers and he didn’t want to wait anymore, his desire eclipsing his shame. He pulled away enough to tug his hoodie and shirt off, the light from the abandoned game dancing across Heru’s face.

Heru bit his lip and ran his hands across Wade’s stomach and up his chest, undoubtedly feeling his racing heart beating like a hummingbird inside the cage of his ribs. His breath caught in his chest as he ran his hands up Heru’s legs, he was wearing a pair of tight black jeans with a rainbow studded belt. He rubbed his palm against the bulge of his crotch, a tiny gasp escaping as Heru’s hips automatically pushed his ass against Wade’s erection. He slowly undid the belt and pants, sliding the zipper down and grinning when he saw no sign of underwear.

“I see we’ve gone commando, sir” he teased, making Heru grin that floppy grin that made his stomach flip and dick twitch. Licking his lips, he gripped his jeans and pulled them down, and he helpfully lifted his hips so he could pull them off, pausing to pull off his shoes and socks before tossing it all in a heap beside the couch. He rocked back on his knees so he could look at him, devouring every centimeter of his body with his eyes before Heru sat up, his fingers gripping Wade’s waist band and pulling himself up so that he could kiss him. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into his lap and sliding his hands down his back, his fingers already memorizing the feel of his lithe muscles. Heru kissed down his neck, his tongue sliding against the hollow of his jaw as his hands traveled across his body, exploring with just as much desperation as Wade, his own fingers digging deeply into the small of his back before sliding down and cupping his ass with both hands. Heru made a noise that made him squeeze again, his fingertips slipping between his cheeks. 

He grumbled in complaint when Heru pulled away and stood up, his complaint quelled as he got to stare at him in all his glory as he started going through the pouches on Wade’s suit.

“What are you looking for, sugarplum?” he asked.

“Lube,” he explained and Wade laughed.

“How did you know I keep lube on me?” he asked, grabbing the belt and pulling out two little bottles and handing them to him.

“Must have read it somewhere,” he said with a shrug and tossed the belt back on the table and turned his attention back to Wade. Smiling down at him, Heru knelt between his legs and pulled at the waistband of his sweats and he lifted his hips obediently, letting him pull his pants off. He rocked back on his heels and stared at Wade, looking him up and down with such intense desire that his gaze felt like hands. He knelt on his knees and slid his hands up his thighs, making him shiver. He leaned up, flicking the tip of his tongue against his lips and he opened his mouth, inviting his tongue in and breathing heavily through his nose as Heru kissed him, lacing his fingers through his silky hair. His lips pressed against his, moving slowly before he pulled away, Wade catching his lip ring between his teeth and pulling him back for another, shorter kiss. Heru pulled away and kissed down his chest, his cool lips and tongue exquisite against his overheated skin and he couldn’t stop the strangled whimper that escaped him as Heru’s hands wrapped around his cock and balls. He massaged his length, stroking slowly as his mouth continued to move lower, going painfully, wonderfully slow. There was a pause and he looked down to see him hastily popping open a bottle of lube and Wade watched with a mixture of confusion and interest as he poured a bunch in his mouth. He understood when Heru brought his mouth to his dick, his tongue slid across the top, circling the crown as lube slid down to mix with his fingers as he ran them up and down the underside before sliding his mouth down and taking his entire length.

“Jesus,” he gasped, groaning as Heru hummed happily, his mouth moving up and down slowly, his tongue pressed flat against his cock, circling and flicking the frenulum before swallowing him again. He lost track of time, completely lost in the sensation of his mouth and before he knew it, he was at the edge. Heru gave the smallest of tugs on his balls as he took him all the way in again, humming loudly and completely tipping him over. He couldn’t even manage a warning, an incoherent smattering of noises were all that came out as he gripped Heru’s head with both hands and bucked, coming hard. 

He was seeing stars, panting and swimming in the waves of his orgasm. Heru pulled his mouth off, licking him clean before crawling into his lap and wrapping his legs around him.

“So you obviously don’t have a gag reflex,” he managed to point out, opening his eyes and looking into his flushed face.

“No,” he laughed, trailing his fingertips across his cheeks, over his ears and down behind his neck. 

“Mmm, good to know,” he purred and ran his hands down his back, over his backside and down his thighs, his cock already growing hard again. He kissed him, tasting lube, himself, cinnamon and that slightly acrid flavor he’d come to associate with him and death. He kissed him slowly as he slid a hand between them and began stroking his cock, noting the dryness, “I couldn’t help but notice,” he whispered after pulling away, trailing kisses down his neck and shoulder. Heru closed his eyes, his head leaning back a fraction and his mouth parted slightly as he slowly stroked him, “you don’t have blood… you don’t have spit… and no pre-cum,” he pointed out, too curious not to ask and not in any rush for the night to end. 

“No,” he opened his eyes just enough to look at him, “hence the lube,” he smiled and held up the bottle clutched in his hand. Wade took it with his free hand and quickly poured some on his right hand before returning it to his lap. He grinned as Heru shuddered and leaned into his hand.

“I can work with that,” he told him and grabbed him behind the knees and stood, lifting him with him. Heru wrapped his legs around his waist and pulled him in for more kisses as he turned around and pulled him off, setting him down on the back of the couch. He knelt on the couch in front of him and spread his legs, he winked up at him before wrapping both arms under his legs, he pulled him forward and buried his face in his crotch. He ran his tongue all over him, tracing every centimeter of his sack, shaft and head. Heru moaned loudly and arched his back, his hands gripped the edge of the couch tightly, Wade’s hands on his lower back the only thing keeping him from falling backwards. He vaguely wondered how he was hard without blood, but he was enjoying himself too much to want to break the mood by asking  _ {those readers too distracted by this question can go to the footnotes*} _ yellow rambled but he didn’t pay it any attention. The cock in his mouth was hard and throbbing against his tongue and Heru was trying not to wiggle but failing miserably. 

He sucked, licked and twisted his mouth around his cock, his mouth coming off with a loud pop as he stroked the mixture of lube and saliva down his length. 

“Is that good, baby?” he questioned, kissing Heru’s thigh and nipping at the tender skin.

“Yea, yes,” he stuttered, his nails digging into Wade’s shoulders and he smiled, lazily running his tongue from just under his balls, up to the tip and down the other side, “fuck Wade,” he gasped, whimpering in complaint as he pulled away and grabbed his hips and lifted. He easily lifted him and turned him around, bending him over the back of the couch. Heru leaned on his elbows, his feet had disappeared into the couch between the cushions and for a moment, Wade just sat back and looked at him, appreciating the view as Heru watched him from over his shoulder. 

“Damn,” he sighed, squeezing both ass cheeks, spreading them slightly as he lifted. The sight of Heru’s rock hard cock pinned between his legs and the couch with his ass spread was almost enough to make him come again. Instead he filed the image away for later use and moved in. He kissed down his lower back, over the hill of his ass and flicked his tongue across the crease above his thighs. He spread his cheeks further and trailed his tongue down the length of his crack, flicking against the soft skin of his balls before trailing back up and circling his hole. He grinned as Heru’s body began to tremble and he began to lick in earnest, sliding the tip of his tongue inside and reaching one hand in between his legs to fondle his incredibly hard cock, memorizing every little noise he made. He pulled away after several minutes, desperate to feel him around him. He planted kisses along each cheek, nipping while one hand gripped one delicious ass cheek and the other opened one of the bottles of lube. He poured a generous amount down his crack, slipping two fingers inside and making him cry out and push against him. While he worked his ass, he poured lube over his own cock with his free hand, tossing the bottle aside and spreading it over himself. Removing his fingers, he grabbed Heru’s waist and pulled him off the couch, a surprised squawk escaping the reaper as Wade sat back and settled Heru into his lap, his leg’s spread and draping on either side of him. He kissed the back of his neck, nipping at his shoulders and he tapped his ass. Understanding, Heru lifted off his lap enough for Wade to position himself, spreading his cheeks and pressing the tip at his entrance. Heru wasted no time and slid down his entire length, taking him into the base in one slick movement and Wade groaned loudly. He stayed like that for a moment, both of them just savoring the feel of being inside of him, his back pressed against Wade’s chest and his arms around him. Slowly, Wade began moving his hips, gripping Heru’s waist and lifting. Heru leaned forward, balancing his hands on Wade’s knees as he started lifting himself, his back arched as he grew louder with every thrust.

“Fuck,” Wade watched him, making note of the numerous scars across his back and promising himself he would kiss each one of them, memorizing them along with the three little raised moles on his lower back and the tattoos that he was far too distracted to appreciate. He continued to thrust, their rhythm increasing in speed. He pulled Heru against his chest and leaned into the couch, one hand gripping his chest while the other wrapped around his cock and began pumping it in time to his thrusts. Heru turned to kiss him and nipped at his jaw until Wade gave him his mouth. 

“I,” Heru panted, gripping at any part of Wade that he could reach, “I wanna face you,” he breathed, “I wanna watch you come,” he told him and Wade obliged. He lifted him off and watched as he hastily crawled back into his lap, this time facing him and impaled himself on his cock, quickly returning to their previous pace. Wade continued to jerk him between sloppy kisses that went from his mouth to his nipples and back. Heru panted, Wade’s name falling from his swollen lips with every breath, his ass gripping him tightly.

“Fuck Heru,” he cried, burying his face in his shoulder only to have Heru grip his head and pull him away, making him kiss him again.

“Come for me Wade,” he whispered against his lips, pulling away so he could see his face, “keep, hitting, that, spot,” he said each word as he slammed down on him, his voice breaking on the word spot, “all the way inside,” he purred, the sound of his lust filled voice mixed with the feel of him was too much, “come Wade,” he ordered and Wade wasn’t about to disappoint. He cried out, his head thrust back as they came together, Heru’s sounds of pleasure and the way his entire body locked around Wade’s cock the only indication he’d climaxed. It was heaven, being buried inside of him, stuck together by Wade’s sticky mess and sweat, Heru’s arms tucked between them on his chest, his forehead pressed against his. 

“Yea,” Wade said to no one in particular, “I could get used to this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Footnote: Ok let’s get technical and blunt here because there’s no way for me to naturally bring these details into a story without it fucking with the flow. A reaper has no bodily fluids whatsoever. They don’t shed their hair or skin, their eyes don’t get dry if they don’t blink and they don’t need to breathe, their nails and hair don’t grow. When they take corporal form (something Heru always does, except when teleporting, part of his refusal to give up being human and why he still has somewhat of a ‘linear’ existence [the other reason being his deathday presents]), their bodies are essentially frozen in time--their saliva glands don’t produce saliva, but the saliva in their mouth never dries and never goes away (imagine just swallowing and then it freezing at that level of wetness, dry in some spots, mostly just slightly wet). However, they can make their bodies remember things and recreate the feeling, like the feeling of butterflies in the stomach or in this case, an erection. Since his body isn’t stiff (no rigor mortis) and his skin still has its elasticity, his penis is still capable of expanding. He’s essentially willing his body to become aroused and requires a certain level of mental clarity to reach an orgasm. He only has a sense of touch because he remembers the feelings, this is something that gets more difficult for him to remember as he loses more of his humanity. A reaper’s senses and biology is vastly different from a human’s, their bodies becoming less and less human over time. For example, the reason Heru flipped out about dirt being on the pizza a few chapters back is because dirt is made from organic materials, and he can taste every single one of them (mmm shit). His sense of smell is different and while Deadpool smells like farts and a rotting corpse to people (check out Daredevil’s reaction to him to confirm this), but for Heru the smell of death is quite different and I can only describe it as a combination of blood and soil, very woodsy and natural smelling with hints of copper. This is actually a really important note, especially for later chapters. So keep that in mind: a reaper’s body is frozen in time, no pain, no sensation but it can react to body memories.  
> *Also, no condoms because Wade’s heal factor means no STI’s and Heru can’t contract or be a carrier for anything like that. Also, while I have accepted that male pregnancy can happen as a direct result of magic, Heru can’t become pregnant and he can’t obviously get anyone pregnant. I always advocate for safe sex practices and any erotica I’ve ever written always makes a point of including those real-life details.   
> **Also also, I realized that unless you’ve read Merely Mortal, you will have NO idea that Andreas and Heru have absolutely no blood connection and in fact, only use the term “brother” in the terms of “brother in arms”. Which would make the whole Vegas Con story incredibly inappropriate. Yes, they did eventually get adopted by the same person, but Heru has never considered Ammon his father. They were in love, but had a non-sexual relationship due to both of their sorted past traumas. That’s all I’m going to say about that though.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

###  Chapter Fourteen

**July 3, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **4:18 AM** **  
** **Heru**

They were on the floor, the Pokemon blanket spread out underneath them and Heru lay on his stomach, his arms tucked under his chest with Wade sprawled out on top of him, his chin resting between his shoulder blades. He had lived up to his reputation for a high stamina, neither of them tired or spent, but Heru was content to just enjoy the weight over his body and the warmth that came off Wade like a furnace, his mess be damned. Heru extracted an arm and reached behind him, pulling Wade’s arm and bringing it under him to wrap around him. Wade moved and wrapped his other arm around him, completely encasing him and Heru hummed like a happy cricket, rubbing his legs against Wade’s.

“I can’t believe I fucked Deadpool,” he admitted, his voice muffled.

_ <Drea would be so proud> _ Wade chuckled, his laugh vibrating against Heru’s back and he burrowed deeper under him, pulling his arms tighter.

“Crossing some things off your Bucket List?” he asked smugly and Heru grinned.

“I think the purpose of a Bucket List is lost on me but,” he tried to look at him from his position, turning and lifting up a bit, “if I had one, you would definitely be on it,” he purred. Wade slid off, falling to his right side but keeping one arm and a leg draped across him. He would have complained but it meant he could see him and it was worth the exchange for his weight.

“Mmm, well I’m happy to oblige,” he smirked, his fingers trailing down his spine, “I’ve always had a thing for Death,” he teased and Heru rolled his eyes.

“I know,” he admitted, “I’ve read Funeral for a Freak,” he explained and Wade eyed him, confused.

“What are you talking about brown eyes,” he asked, kissing his shoulder.

_ {Dumbass, it hasn’t come out yet} _

_ ‘He hasn’t met Death yet?’ _

_ <2001 dumbfucks> _

“Timelines are so confusing,” he sighed, “nevermind,” he smiled and freed a hand to trace his fingers over his face, circling his eye and down to his lips. 

“Tell me about it,” he smiled, snapping at Heru’s fingers when they trailed across his bottom lip and grinned, “so when you were human, where did you live?” he asked, sucking on the tip of his index finger, making Heru’s chest tighten.

“Los Angeles,” he answered, “in a different reality,” he rolled onto his side and placed his hands on Wade’s chest, curling into him.

“In a Galaxy far, far away,” he murmured, “do you mind me asking you questions?” he asked, looking down at him, his hands stilling in their exploration as anxiety filled his eyes.

“No,” he stated, “I’m an open book, I always have been,” it was true, even when he was human he’d always been honest, the only virtue he’d ever had, it just wasn’t his fault he was an open book no one wanted to read, “except about the future, you can ask me anything just not about the future, I can’t tell you anything about that.”

_ ‘Even if it means hurting you’  _

“Oh that’s a dangerous game honey bear,” he grinned, “I have, like, a million questions.” Heru laughed and looked at his bare wrist.

“You have an hour before I have to go, ask your questions,” he said and Wade whooped.

“Ok, first and foremost, my most important question, and it’s been eating me alive,” he said, his face falling painfully serious and Heru tried to keep any anxiety at bay, “who is… your favorite Spice Girl and choose wisely! I will judge you mercilessly if you answer incorrectly” he asked, his cheeks twitching as he struggled to maintain a straight face and Heru laughed.

“Um,” he thought about it, trying to remember the band, “honestly, I was pretty young when they were popular but probably Posh Spice, although that just might be because I would love to make a Beckham sandwich given the opportunity,” he laughed and Wade gasped.

“Kinky! I’ve always liked Ginger,” he said, his fingers trailing down Heru’s arm, tracing the tattoo designs, “you were young when they were popular, they’re big now, how old would you be?” 

“Mm, eight,” he grinned at the look of horror mixed with ‘I don’t know how to feel about this’ level of confusion.

“Eight?” he made a face, “so right now, you're running around out there all human and snot nosed?” he asked, his fingers doubling back to trace the long scar on the inside of his wrist that went to his elbow.

“Yea,” he smiled, his own fingers unable to stop either, still mapping out his body, “at this time, I’m probably locked in the cedar chest or I’m in one of the alleys looking for something to eat,” he told him bluntly, still smiling fondly.

_ <Mood killer> _

The voices helpfully provided the failed Mario noise.

“Locked…” Wade repeated, his eyes flashing with violence and Heru felt him stiffen around him, “so a nuclear family?”

“Is what you would find in Chernobyl, not my house,” he answered and pulled him in for a kiss. He wasn’t pained to talk about his past; he was just grateful that he would even bother to ask, grateful that he would care enough to feel anger on his behalf. Just knowing he cared was enough to soothe the old wounds. 

_ {Infano} _

He pulled away, pulling Wade onto him to lay his head against his chest as he rolled onto his back, deciding it was his turn to be cuddled, even if it wasn’t a proper spooning. He wrapped a leg possessively around him.

“Is that why you do what you do?” he asked quietly, not at all bothered by Heru’s manhandling, his fingers idly playing with his nipple ring.

“Hmm?” he closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of Wade’s touch.

“Go after guys like Bradley, because you know what it’s like to be victimized?” he asked the loaded question and Heru stilled, trying to think of how best to answer the very complicated question.

“Partly,” he pressed his lips together as he thought.

_ [Tell him it’s because Death loves you and made you special] _

_ {Oooh, tell him it’s because you’re a psychopath and without the release of killing on a controlled schedule, you would completely abuse your power as a reaper and bring about the destruction of all life!} _

_ <Tell him it’s because you want to see every abuser punished> _

_ ‘I don’t recommend answering this question at all. You should lie’ _

“It’s ok, you don’t have to answer that,” Wade said, Heru had once again taken too long to answer but he shrugged.

“It’s not that I don’t want to answer, it’s just... complicated. There are a lot of reasons but the main reason is because that’s what I... it’s my specialty I guess?” he licked his lips, “most reapers have some kind of specialty, like kids or natural disasters, that kind of thing. It’s not picked, it just… is. You could argue it’s destiny, fate, whatever, I don’t believe in that shit, the universe just likes balance and is also a raging dick. My current theory is that it looked at my life and decided that it would be improved on by giving me an eternity of dealing with the same shit,” he remarked, unable to hide his bitterness. That was a wound that still smarted and hurt him more than anything in his past ever could.

_ <Because you know you deserve it.> _

“Wait,” Wade sat up on his elbows and looked at him confused, “so what, you only reap bad guys?”

“Basically. I don’t know why, I just know that I was assigned the worst of the worst, the ones slotted for destruction,” he shifted under him, looking everywhere but his eyes, “I reap the worst souls, the ones beyond redemption and all the souls that they affect.”

“That’s a shitty gig,” he pointed out and Heru grinned.

_ <That’s one way to put it> _

“Yea, pretty much, like I said, the universe is a dick,” he quipped and wrapped both legs around Wade, running his feet up the back of his legs as he slid his hands down his chest and gripped his cock which had been in a state of semi-hard for the last half hour, “but there’s a better dick I’d rather have fucking me over right now,” he whispered, leaning up to bit his lip.

**July 3, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **9:29 AM** **  
** **Wade**

Wade woke up to the loud buzzing of his phone vibrating on the coffee table a few feet away. Groggily, he fumbled his hand in the air, attempting to reach the table but it was still too far away. He groaned in protest as he crawled on his elbows, dragging the dirty blanket with him.

“'Ello?” he mumbled after opening it and laying back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. 

_ He felt good _ .

“Deadpool,” the young, Aussie said in greeting and Wade sat up. If his hacker was calling it meant good news.

“Is it Christmas time?” he asked excitedly, looking around for his clothing. Heru had left hours ago, reluctantly extracting himself from Wade who was not so eager to let him go and had jokingly pinned him down. He’d laughed, kissed him and vanished, causing him to smack his face on the floor. 

“It’s July 'Pool,” he said, confused but moved on, “I got it,” he told him, voice tense, “but I gotta keep moving, I sent you the baseball card you asked for but I couldn’t find the 1933 Goudey #106 card on its own, but I found it in a collection. I’ve sent it through our usual courier but they  _ definitely _ noticed someone poking around and I’m pretty sure someone’s been following me,” he told him, the rare baseball card referring to documents on Zion specifically, or so he assumed, they hadn’t settled on a code, they had only been working together for a few months. By the sounds of it, he hadn’t been able to hack into the database and find everything on the project, he likely didn’t have time to get into it without getting caught. Wade hoped that 'collection' meant he'd got the entire database.

“You get an A plus plus PLUS!” he gushed, locating his pants in the kitchen  _ [how did they get in there?] _

“Yea yea, you owe me one Pool, I need a safe house and I need it like yesterday,” his voice rising in panic.

“Ok, ok, no biggy, I’ll take care of you,” he hushed him, “this is a secure line, yea?”

“Yea, it's a burner, just got it,” he said.

“Good, ditch it after this call,” he told him and gave him the address to one of his safe houses in lower Manhattan, “you can stay there till shit cools down k? There should be food but if not, there’s some cash in the boxes of condoms by the bed, alright?”

“Condom box?” he could practically see the kids grossed out face, if he knew what he looked like.  _ {Online friends, am I right?} _

“Yea, in the night stand. Should be enough to tide you over, whatever you do,  _ don’t fucking leave the house, _ ” he knew there was at least three thousand dollars in that particular hiding spot and several more hidden throughout the house. He was a bit of a hoarder when it came to cash... and weapons... and safe houses. He’d learned that there was no such thing as being over prepared. He ended the call and sat down on the couch, his stomach growling loudly. 

_ [We going to acknowledge how amazing last night was?] _

_ {And how short lived it’s going to be?} _

“Doesn’t have to be short lived,” he pointed out and headed to the fridge. Nothing but fucking pineapple juice. He headed for the bathroom instead. He would eat when he left to meet the courier. Last night had been… he shook his head, he didn’t know what the word for it was. Blissful? Heavenly? Hot as hell? The things wet dreams are made of? All of the above was true, and he’d been happy, content even. He’d almost forgotten he was a walking one man freak show. The way Heru looked at him was something he was going to hold on to for as long as he could. 

_ {Slow down tiger, you haven’t even known the guy for a month} _

_ [He doesn’t strike me as the long term relationship kind of material] _

He turned the shower on and got in, the warm water refreshing and frankly, desperately needed. Wade hadn’t cared about cleaning up, he was fine with the mix of lube and cum drying on him, happy to lay in their carnal bliss and apparently, Heru had been too. That being said, he was pretty sure every inch of him was covered in a thin layer of lube simply because Heru had been very thorough in exploring his body and not so thorough with removing the various fluids from his hands first. 

_ {Gross} _

He shrugged, it had been hot at the time. He scrubbed himself clean, merrily singing Kiss Me. He grabbed the toothbrush Heru had bought him the previous night and brushed his teeth, still dancing around in the shower. He lathered his body with the bar of Irish Spring soap, his dancing got increasingly aggressive. He climbed out a few minutes later and walked to the living room where he’d forgotten the towel on the floor, trailing a river of water behind him. He dried off and got dressed in his suit, making a note to pick up a pair of underwear to keep his pants from riding up his ass and headed out. The courier would be delivering the hard drive to a garbage bin across from the Daily Bugle, leaving it in a plastic bag among all the other garbage. He checked the time, garbage pick up for that spot had been way earlier in the day and he was glad he wasn’t going to have to rush. Not like he had anywhere else to be, he just preferred to take his own time although he was admittedly eager to get his hands on the drive. He headed out and flipped open his phone, pulling up his text messages.

_ To: Sweetcheeks _

_ Hey muffin, you doin’ anythin in an hour or so? _

He typed the message and hit send, climbing down the fire escape and heading for the subway. Heru’s reply buzzed a minute later. 

_ From: Sweetcheeks _

_ Bradley’s working from home. Am on the roof. _

_ To: Sweetcheeks _

_ Be there in an hour. I’ll bring lunch _

Twenty minutes later he was rummaging in the garbage outside the Bugle as someone walking passed threw their melted milkshake into the garbage, the melted contents splashed all over him.

“What the shit?!” he hollered after them, “fuck,” he managed to get the bag, but it was covered in strawberry disgustingness and so was he.

“Here,” a cute brunette said, handing him a stack of napkins from his takeout bag, a camera hanging around his neck.

“Thanks,” he took the napkins and began wiping off the bag before moving to his suit, “yuck, and I thought strawberry milkshakes were gross when they were fresh,” he made a retching noise, making the younger man chuckle.

“Tell me about it, nothing worse than landing in a dumpster and getting covered in slimy food and diapers” he said, as if speaking from personal experience and grinning widely at him, “or so I hear.” Wade narrowed his eyes at him, something about his Queen’s accent familiar, “it’s usually why I don’t have my sources stash stuff in garbage bins,” he pointed out, eyeing the drive. Wade’s gaze narrowed further.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but this is my lunch from yesterday and I put it here to save it for later,” he said casually, looking around for something else to put it in.

“Right, well that makes sense. I usually keep my snacks under that bench,” he quipped and Wade smirked, “I’m a photographer for the Bugle, Peter Parker,” he said pointing at the Bugle.

“You’re Spidey’s photographer?” he asked, giving him another once over quickly before walking over to a street vendor and purchasing a Hello Kitty backpack. He used to have one like it, back before  _ Bradley _ blew up his apartment.

“Yea,” Parker trotted after him, “well I mean, he doesn’t have his own photographer or anything but I do take most of his pictures and I am on a first name basis with him,” he admitted.

“Damn,” he wasn’t jealous, no not jealous at all, “you take good photos,” he said, stuffing the hard-drive in the bag and extending the shoulder straps as far as they would go before squeezing the bag on over his katanas.

“Thanks,” he smiled, “I’m, I’m sorry to have bothered you Mr. Pool, but I was hoping I could actually get a photo,” he said hopefully and Wade blinked.

“Why?”

“Because you’re a superhero… sort of,” he amended and held up his camera hopefully. 

“I’m not a hero kid, don’t get your suits mixed up,” he scolded and was about to walk away when Parker grabbed his shoulder.

“Please, Mr. Pool,” he quickly let go of him when Wade turned around, glaring daggers at him, “not for the paper then, just, for me? I kind of… a fan of your stuff when you team up with Spider-Man,” he admitted, his cheeks flushing and Wade sighed.

“Fiiine,” he groaned and bent his knees slightly to fit in the frame as Peter hastily pulled the camera off his neck and stood next to Wade, pointing at him excitedly and snapping a picture.

“Thank you so much!” he said, grinning stupidly, his eyes full of mischief.

_ {Spidey is a little shit} _

_ What does Spider-Man have to do with this? _

_ {Nevermind} _

“Yea, whatever, see ya ‘round Parker!” he said, spotting the Taco Bell ahead, “hey wait! Petey!” he called, spinning around, relieved to see the kid waiting to cross the street, “I actually need a favor,” Peter beamed at him.

He made his way to ‘their’ building shortly after one, his prized bag of Taco Bell clutched in one hand, the other holding the backpack strap as he whistled along to the elevator music. He winked at the camera and got off on the top floor, heading to the staircase labelled ‘Roof Access. Restricted’ and opened it.   
  
_ {Holy shit} _

_ [Look at that ass] _

_ Whoa _

_ [You got that right] _

_ {What song is that?} _

_ I have no idea but Christ he can sing, did you know he could sing? _

_ [Oh my god, that bounce] _

Heru’s hip popped with each step he took, his arms in the air as his body twisted in the shape of the music. He was wearing his bright red converse, the same jeans as last night and every time he twisted, his bubblegum pink Lilo and Stitch shirt lifted to reveal his smooth stomach, his biker jacket abandoned on the ledge next to him. He was singing his heart out, his eyes closed, one hand clutching his cell phone and a joint in the other.

“And one way conversations,” he sang, his body insanely still before tapping his foot, the beat slowly travelling up his body, “tonight I need you to stay! Tonight, I’ll need you to stay!” he spun, coming to an abrupt halt as his dark eyes landed on Wade, immediately losing his balance and falling backwards and off the roof.

“Hey sweet-” Wade gasped and jumped forward when Heru disappeared from sight.

_ [Wait] _

_ Right _ , the panic evaporated as quickly as he had fallen and reappeared behind Wade, flipping his hair out of his eyes and pulling his earbuds out.

“Snookums!” he greeted, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled up at him.   
  


**July 3, 1998** **  
** **East 23rd Street, New York City** **  
** **1:05 PM** **  
** **Heru**

Heru stood on his toes and planted a kiss on Wade’s masked mouth, “nice backpack,” he said after and walked over to the ledge and took his seat. He glanced over at the apartment, Bradley was hosting a meeting with the other leaders of the Zion and Infano projects. He’d brought them to his home instead of the office, no longer trusting his employees and unwilling to risk anything disrupting their plans. 

“Aw thanks,” Wade sat down on the ledge and opened the Taco Bell bag, “man, I am so stoked for this! I can never get Taco Bell while in the suit,” he rambled, rolling up his mask and diving into the greasy substance mistaken for food.

“You’re constantly eating fast food,” Heru pointed out, relighting his joint and keeping his eyes locked on the apartment.

“Yea, but only from the street vendors willing to sell to me in my suit! I walk into a chain and,” he grimaced, “it’s all ‘oh my god he’s got a gun!’ and ‘everyone run!’ and ‘I’m calling the police!’” he explained, bits of lettuce flying as he gestured wildly with his taco filled hand. Heru laughed and dipped his head, he had a point.

“So how did you get this?” he asked, mildly curious but mostly focused on the men in the apartment.

“Peter Parker,” Wade said around the food in his mouth and Heru sputtered on the joint.

“Parker?” he looked over at him.

_ ‘He saw Peter?’ _

“Mmm, Spidey’s photographer,” he explained.

_ ‘Ah’ _

“Oh right,” he feigned ignorance and focused on the scientist who was currently explaining things to the men. He was on his list.

“You want some?” Wade held out the take out bag and Heru looked at it and wrinkled his nose.

“I’m good,” he declined, “so what are you doing out and about?” he asked, taking a sip from Wade’s soda. He expected him to completely disregard the bounty on him and wasn’t at all surprised to see him out.

“Had to pick something up,” he said and pulled his bag off. He reached inside and pulled out a large external hard drive, “got my hands on our man’s database. Everything about Project Zion will be on here, or at least, I’m hoping it is or that was a serious waste of three million dollars,” he pointed out.

“Wow, that’s awesome,” Heru glanced at the drive.

_ {Still won’t be enough to stop Infano} _

“Yep,” Wade swung his legs as he put it back in his bag and set it aside, humming happily.

“Wade,” Heru glanced at him, the use of his name making him frown, “I know you’ve got your heart set on bringing Bradley down but you do remember what I said right? That he’s not going to see any justice? Not by your human standards.”

“I know, I know,” he waved his hand, “he’s yours for the kill, but doesn’t mean I can’t bring down his fucked up ring of human trafficking,” he argued and Heru chewed his lip. 

_ {You can’t say shit} _

“I know,” he said to Future and sighed and looked at the merc. There was the possibility that Deadpool really could eventually bring it down, Heru hadn’t looked that far into the future, hadn’t cared to. It wasn’t like he didn’t care about all the people who would suffer, he felt for them, but in the end, he wasn’t about to do anything to change it. He’d accepted the fact that everything dies a long time ago, and had stopped allowing himself to care about the suffering because it was pointless. He had always been good with compartmentalizing his emotions, at turning them off when they didn’t suit him,  _ <psychopath> _ . Andreas had always been the voice of reason, the one to tell him  _ why _ it mattered because he’d never been good at understanding why he had to care. It wasn’t like he didn’t care at all, it had been… unnerving to watch Sandra be skinned in that hotel room, to know what kind of excruciating and unbearable pain she had been in, but a reaper didn’t interfere. He told himself that he was bearing witness to the crimes against them and that that mattered, that they at least weren’t suffering alone and that it was enough. But reapers weren’t there to save the world from the monsters and that was something people didn’t really understand, especially humans. Doing what he did required a certain level of indifference, of detachment because if he allowed himself to think about it… he swallowed and bit his lip until his teeth pierced it. 

“You ok gummy bear?” Wade asked and he realized that he’d been talking, going on about something Heru had completely zoned out of.

“Yea, sorry,” he smiled weakly and wiped a bit of hot sauce from the corner of Wade’s mouth, “spaced out, what were you saying?”   


“Just saying I should go see what I can get off of this,” he repeated, his mouth a thin line, his usual lilt absent.

“Oh,” he pried his eyes from the apartment and reached out, gripping Wade’s knee as he tried to ignore the conflicting emotions, “you going home?”

_ [Home. You said it almost like it is a home, a home with Wade _ .  _ It’s not] _

“Yea,” Wade grinned, “you coming or you got work to do?” he asked, glancing at the apartment, unable to see the gathered individuals through the curtains. 

“Work, but I’ll be home later on,” he promised, thinking about the souls he was going to need to reap and what he was going to do with Bradley when they were alone together.

“Alrighty baby,” he swung his legs around and stood, gathering up his garbage.

_ {Did he really eat ten tacos?} _

_ ‘Ugh, the poor toilet’ _

“Hey,” Heru scowled when Wade had started to walk away. He turned around and Wade walked back over, his mask rolled back down.

“Yea, what’s up sweetums?” he asked and Heru got to his feet so he could roll his mask up.

“You haven’t properly said goodbye,” he complained, grabbing onto the warmth that flooded him at the sight of Wade’s smug smile. 

“My bad,” he smirked and pulled him in for a kiss. He tasted mostly like Taco Bell but Heru pushed that away, focusing on the way that the warmth from his soul seeped into him instead. When they pulled away, the voices were blissfully quiet and he considered going home with him, he wasn’t due to reap anyone for a few hours and there were a lot more pleasant things he could do with that time. 

_ [Stop going down that road] _

_ {It’s pointless} _

_ [Don’t think for a second that you can have that] _

“I’ll see you later ‘Pool,” he said, planting a chaste kiss before rolling his mask back down and stepping back, feeling the icy tendrils wiping out the warmth.

“See you later boo,” he winked and swaggered off, Hello Kitty waving at him as he left through the restricted access door.

  
  


**July 3, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **3:59 PM** **  
** **Wade**

“What the shit Max?” Wade said the moment the hacker picked up, “how the fuck am I supposed to see the files?” he snapped. He’d gotten back to the apartment over an hour ago and had managed to hook up the hard-drive to Heru’s computer, expecting to find a shit load of useless memos and a fountain of helpful information but instead, it was just a bunch of scrambled symbols.

“Deadpool?” Max questioned and Wade rolled his eyes.

“No, the Candyman!” he quipped, “yes it’s  _ me _ and I wanna know why I’m looking at gibberish!”

“Oh,” something crinkled noisily on the other end, “Well I had to leave it encrypted, in case it was picked up by someone else,” he said in an obvious tone and Wade rolled his eyes.

“Yes but I don’t do the techy things, that’s your job! What am I supposed to do with this? Last I checked, I wasn’t in the market for a three million dollar paper weight,” he complained loudly.

“Well I could decrypt it for you but-”

“I’ll be there in an hour, I assume you have everything you need to do it?” he growled in annoyance, unplugging the stupid thing and packing it up again.

“Uh, yea,” there was a bunch of rustling, “ok, but I don’t really like this idea, I mean, you’re not supposed to know who I am…”

“So put on a mask, be creative,” he ordered before ending the call and leaving the apartment.

Wade unlocked the door to the safe house over an hour later, having made it to the suburban neighbourhood relatively fast. 

“Max!” he shouted as he walked in, closing and locking the door. He froze when a lanky teenager came around the corner, his head covered in a brown paper bag with eye holes cut out, “what the fuck is that?”

“My mask,” he said, a hint of embarrassment under his excitement.

_ [Fuck, he’s a fucking kid] _

_ {Good job Wade, you involved a child in this} _

“How fucking old are you?” he asked, his tone coming out far harsher than he had intended and he winced at the pained look in his eyes, “I mean, this is serious shit, aren’t your parents freaking out over the fact you’ve disappeared?” he asked, walking further into the bungalow house and looking for his set up.

“I’m sixteen, and while I may not be old enough to vote yet, I’m not a child,” he answered, pulling the bag off and crumpling it, his shoulders slumped and the excited expression that had been clear in his voice petered out, “and my parents are in Honolulu for the month,” he explained and led the way into the back study.   


“Oh,” he tugged at the back of his mask, making a mental note to find out who they were and send someone to keep an eye on them, “so how’d a sixteen year old get into hacking government databases and corporate sabotage?” he asked, plopping down in a wing-back chair that was situated in the corner of the study.

“Now you wanna know my origin story?” he snarked and Wade narrowed his eyes but shrugged.

“Just making conversation, Einstein,” he reached into his bag and tossed the drive at him. Max barely caught it, cursing loudly.

“Dammit Pool, be careful with this!” he hissed in annoyance and sat down at the desk. He grabbed a cord and connected it to his laptop, “jees, if you break this I can’t get you another one.”

“Ok, ok,” he sighed, his impatience growing, “well get on with it, I’ve only got a couple weeks to stop the bad guy.”

_ {He never said Zion was happening on the sixteenth} _

_ He implied it. _

_ [Did he really though?] _

“I don’t know why you’re so interested in this dude, everything I saw was pretty standard, I mean the military contracts were a little weird but,” he shrugged, digging out a pack of Twizzlers and eating two at a time as he clicked away on the keyboard, the licorice dangling from his mouth.

“You mean there isn’t a big file labelled ‘My Evil Plans’? I’m utterly surprised and devastated!” he mocked, rolling his eyes. Max glared at him. “So what does a sixteen year old need three million dollars for?” he asked a few minutes later after the silence had extended far too long. Max looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Retirement obviously,” his tone implying the ‘duh’ at the end of his sentence.

“Retirement?” he scoffed, “you mean you’re not going to spend it all on sweet gadgets and a lifetime supply of Redbull?”

“Don’t be stupid,” he chided, completely missing the sarcasm, “I put most of it into investments like Apple and Microsoft. The rest I put in my account in the Caymans where it can collect enough interest that I can fund my tech,” he stated flatly and Wade whistled.

“You’re a party animal.”

“No, I’m just not as short sighted as the rest of you barbarians,” he replied. Wade smiled,  _ [smart kid]. _

It took him several hours, he had explained how he hadn’t managed to break through all of the security on it and had just copied it and a whole bunch of other words that Wade tuned out because he couldn’t be bothered to care about the specifics. Results were all he cared about. He occupied himself by annoying Max until he snapped that if he wanted it done, he’d better leave him alone. So he wandered through the house, played a few rounds of Quake on the N64, and ordered pizza. He was shooting spitballs on the ceiling in the shape of a penis when Max announced he was finished. He unplugged the drive and handed it back to him.

“There,” he said tiredly, his eyes red and face drawn, “all ready for you to sort through. There are thousands of files on there, sorry, there wasn’t a way to separate it from what you were looking for and there's definitely likely to still be a few security measures... but this should be good enough for now,” he yawned and Wade took the drive back.

“All good kiddo!” he rumbled the kid’s hair, grinning when he glared up at him, “isn’t it past your bedtime?” he asked, looking at his Lego watch and noticing it was well past midnight.

_ [No texts from Heru] _

He wondered if he was home yet or if he was still working and if so, what he was doing. 

“Shut up,” Max complained, smacking his hand away and walking out of the study, “I’m always up this late,” he told him confidently, yawning again and ruining the effect.

“I’m sure you are sparky, now what did you say your parents' names were?” he asked, putting the drive back in his bag and squeezing it over his shoulders.

“What? You going to call them and tell them I’m killing my brain cells staying up this late?” he retorted, grabbing a slice from the discarded pizza box.

“No smart-ass,” he sighed, “I’m going to send someone to make sure they stay safe and oblivious to your extracurricular activities,” he explained, “what about school? Hasn’t anyone noticed that you’ve just dropped off the face of the earth?” 

“Not really considering it's only been a day,” he casually said, shrugging a shoulder, “and also it’s July, so it’s summer break. Two, my parents think I’m in Switzerland with a friend’s family,” he explained.

“Don’t they call to check on you?” he asked, suddenly not so keen to just leave the kid alone.

“They’re busy,” he yawned and opened the fridge, having finished the slice and looking for something to wash it down with. Wade frowned.

“Alright,” he made him tell him their names and he texted Weasel with the job details and offered a few grand to keep the kids parents alive, “I’ll uh, check in on you tomorrow,” he told Max after he sent the text and looked up to see him picking at another slice of pizza, looking sad.

“Whatever,” he brushed it off, not fooling him for a second that he wasn’t glad to have someone showing a bit of interest in his well being.

“Stay out of trouble, Einstein!” he instructed before leaving and making his way home.

_ {That’s the second time you’ve called it home} _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a scene where Heru is listening to music on the roof. If you want to know what song he was listening to, this is it: The Run and Go by Twenty One Pilots  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x-oEmweCsM


	15. Chapter Fifteen

###  Chapter Fifteen

**July 8, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **6:40 PM** **  
** **Wade**

“Eureka!” Wade exclaimed, jumping to his feet in his excitement as he beamed, looking around the empty apartment, his grin faltering. Heru had left a few hours before to go to work. He looked down at the computer screen, smiling and thoroughly enjoying the rush of success. Finally, _finally_ , he had found _something_. He had thought that when Max had said there were thousands of files, he’d be able to use the search feature to find anything pertaining to Zion. Man, had he been wrong. It turned out, the techs at Kanel Industries had a few tricks up their sleeves and despite having cracked the main encryption, there had been a number of hidden security features on an insane amount of the files. He ended up having to call Max and had spent the past five days going back and forth between the safe house and Heru’s, working on going through the drive. He had been more than a little frustrated but grinned happily at the file on the screen. It was from some scientist that worked for the company Ygeia Pharmaceuticals, one of the subsidiaries of Orion and therefore connected to Kanel Industries and Bradley. He’d learned a lot about the pharmaceutical company in the last few days and the research they were working on but this was the first bit of information he’d found on Zion thus far. It was just an email to Bradley making some request about bringing something that had some genetic thing that made no sense to Wade to Zion _{whatever that meant}_ _[he’s not a scientist, it’s all Greek to us]._ But there was a name at the end of it which meant there was someone who he could squeeze for information instead of wasting more time pouring over the hell that was bureaucracy. He grabbed his cell phone.

“Maxamillion!” he shouted when Max answered, “my man! My tech-wizard!” 

“What do you want?” he asked, clearly still a little miffed with Wade for his last visit  _ {he may or may not have spilled ice cream on his computer} _ .

“Aw can’t a middle-aged man call a teenage boy just to chat?” he asked, wounded and Max snorted.

“What do you want, pervert?” he asked.

“That’s my Einstein, always straight to the point,” he began stripping, looking around for his discarded suit. Heru had practically ripped it off him earlier when he’d stopped by  _ [mmmm sexy times] _ , “I need you to pull up some info on someone, a Dr. Javier Bernal,” he told him, finding his mask on top of the fridge.

“Give me a second,” there was some rustling followed by the clicking of a keyboard, “works at Ygeia Pharmaceuticals? He lives at 815 Glendale Rd, Massapequa,” he said after a few seconds, “married, two kids, Annabelle and Michael, they’re in college, Michael’s at Harvard and Annabelle is… at Brown,” he rattled off their addresses, “wife’s name is Joan, looks like she quit working for Ygeia after the kids were born and is currently involved in United Pathstones, a charity owned by Orion Operations and Co., they have two shih tzus...” he rambled, listing a few more details about their lives.

_ {Damn, the kid’s good} _

“Do you know where Bernal is now?” he asked, pulling his mask on and grabbing his belt.

“According to Ygeia’s security, he just swiped his badge to access one of the research labs twenty minutes ago, I’d hazard a guess he’s still there,” he answered after a few more keyboard clicks.

“You're the best, Einstein!” he raved, hanging up the phone and strapping his weapons into place. 

_ To: Sweetcheeks _

_ Got a lead. Going to check it out, see you later _

He sent the text in the off chance that Heru would stop by while he was gone, the reaper had started distancing himself and Wade was desperately trying not to overthink it. It wasn’t like they’d had sex and then Heru had ghosted him or anything. He just seemed… preoccupied the last few days on top of spending a good twelve to fifteen hours a day with Bradley. He didn’t ask him what he was doing, figured he was off mentally water-boarding the bastard and he wasn’t going to lose any sleep over that. He was just slightly off but Wade chalked it up to the fact that the sixteenth was coming up and he was just distracted by that. 

_ From: Sweetcheeks _

_ Ok sugar, be careful xox _

He tucked the phone in his pocket and climbed down the fire escape. He tried to avoid using the main door, just in the highly unlikely case one of the many mercenaries looking for him actually found him. It wasn’t for his safety but for the other tenants, he figured some mercs might be willing to take out a few innocent people trying to get to him and he didn’t need more innocent lives on his conscience. He walked out onto Lennox Ave and flagged a cab, the cabbie not looking twice at his getup, likely assuming it was just a fake costume. He chatted with the driver, admitting to him that he was excited that he’d finally made a break in his work and was on his way to meet this break and the cabbie confusedly congratulated him. By the end of the drive, the cabbie, Harold, gave him his number asking if he’d come to his son’s birthday party because ‘he just loves all them masked heroes’. He tossed the number as soon as he’d driven away, not understanding why people kept assuming that because he was wearing a mask he was a hero despite the very clear evidence to the contrary, like all the guns strapped to his body. 

He tried the front door of the large, low-rise facility but they were locked. Deadpool made his way around the building, finding a loading dock with the door open as a cargo truck was being loaded with packages. He slipped in, hiding behind walls of boxes before finding a door that led into the building. He skipped down the hall, whistling the Bond theme as he looked through each door, getting increasingly lost in the labyrinth of corridors. His phone buzzed and thinking it was Heru, he smiled and pulled it out to see a text from Max instead.

_ From: Einstein _

_ Go left moron _

He frowned in confusion and then looked up, spinning around to see a security camera focused on him and he grinned and waved.

_ From: Einstein _

_ Fucking idiot, move before someone sees you _

He grinned and pranced off to the left. He continued down the hall for a while, glancing through closed office doors when he came to another intersection and looked up at the camera.

_ From: Einstein _

_ Right _

He gave the camera a thumbs up and turned right. He started humming again, jiving down the hallway. He heard voices coming down the hall and darted into an office, poking his head up to watch them walk past. When it was clear, he slinked out and continued down, looking up at the camera any time he needed guidance. Max texted him each time and he could practically hear him rolling his eyes at his lack of foresight in not getting the building’s schematics before breaking in. It probably would have been a good idea but Deadpool wasn’t exactly known for his thinking ahead skills and he tended to wing it more often than not. 

_ From: Einstein _

_ Turn left, the door at the end of the hall, needs a top security clearance card _

He read the text and looked at the camera, waiting.

_ To: Einstein _

_ Where do I get one of those? _

_ From: Einstein _

_ How the fuck do I know?  _

He sighed up at the camera and continued to text, his gloves making him hit three keys at a time.

_ To: Einstein _

_ Can’t you just open it? _

He headed down the hall, keeping an eye out for any wandering nerds in a lab coat.

_ From: Einstein _

_ Not without someone noticing I’ve hacked into the system _

_ {Good point} _

_ To Einstein _

_ Can you look and find someone? You’ve got access to all the video feeds! _

_ From Einstein _

_ Hold on, you're such a useless boob _

He grinned and leaned against the wall, digging through a pouch and pulling out a piece of gum and wiggling his fingers under his mask, he popped it in his mouth. A minute later he got a text telling him to go back in the opposite direction. There was someone in one of the offices who had high enough security to get in, although he warned him that they weren’t supposed to be in that area and it might make people question it if they noticed. 

Wade found the person he mentioned after a couple minutes of searching.

“Hey! What do yo-” he shouted as Wade burst into his office, his sentence cut short when he pistol whipped him.

“Lights out ladies,” he said to the empty room and grabbed the badge,  _ Samuel Atkins _ . He tied Mr. Atkins to his chair, stuffed a bandanna he found in a pouch into his mouth and used a strip of duct-tape he kept in another pouch to secure it in place. He wheeled him to his desk and turned him around, facing away from the window so no one would see him unconscious and strapped to the chair should security do a walk-by. After fixing the guy’s glasses back on his face, he left the office and headed back to the secure door. He looked at the camera and crossed his fingers, hoping the card wouldn’t trigger an alarm. He swiped it and the door clicked open, no alarms. 

_ From Einstein _

_ Hurry up, it’s been flagged and they’ll be sending a security team down in a few minutes _

_ [Well shit sticks] _

He stepped through the door to find the room empty of people but filled with expensive looking lab equipment, stainless steel tables and numerous cabinets filled with a bunch of science crap that he couldn’t identify to save his life. He had a brief moment of a flashback to Weapon X but shrugged it off as best as he could as he moved through the room, his skin tingling from the tension. A door at the far end opened and a dark haired man wearing a white lab coat walked into the room, not immediately noticing Deadpool, his attention on the clipboard in his hands. 

“Excuse me,” Wade said loudly, holding up a hand, “do you know where the lavatories are?” he asked and the startled scientist stumbled backwards, reaching for the doorknob. “I don’t think so Javier!” he jumped over a table and grabbed the guy by the throat, dragging him away from the door and pulling out his IWI Desert Eagle Mark XIX and holding it to his temple, “shh, shh, shh,” he cooed as the guy began to shout and he quickly covered his mouth with a gloved hand, “unless you want to have a very personal conversation with Larry here, you’re going to be very, very quiet,” he instructed, the white lenses of his mask narrowed, “nod if you understand.” Javier nodded slowly, “good, now I’m going to take my hand away and you’re going to lead the way out of here and to your car, ok? And then we’re going to drive to your nice little two story home on Glendale in Massapequa and you’re going to tell me alllllll about Project Zion, understand?” The guy complained loudly, his voice muffled and he tightened his grip, making him wince, “I  _ said _ ,” he rolled his eyes, “you’re going to be quiet.” He nodded and Wade slowly removed his hand, pressing the muzzle to his forehead and waiting to see what he’d do.

“I don’t know what you’ve been reading but there’s no such thing as Project Zi-” Wade clicked off the safety.

“I dare you to deny that Project Zion exists,” he growled and Javier clamped his mouth shut, “good boy. Now, lead the way and don’t even  _ think _ about trying to get help, security isn’t watching the feed and it’s just you and me baby,” he instructed, hastily pulling out his phone and typing a quick text to Max, asking him to loop the feed.

_ From: Einstein _

_ Seriously? You think I didn’t already do that? _

“Smartass kids these days,” he said with a proud sigh and put the phone away, looking back at Javier, “lead on Ivanov.”

He led him through the secure door and back down the hallway, going in a different direction at the intersection than Wade had gone. A few times, Max texted to tell him to hide when security was about to go by and it took a good fifteen minutes to make it out of the building without anyone noticing. 

_ {Frankly, I’m amazed you made it out without setting off every alarm} _

_ [I’m surprised he got  _ in _ without setting off alarms] _

“Way to have confidence in me guys,” Pool mumbled, getting in the passenger side of Javier’s BMW. He hastily texted a thank you followed by several x’s and o’s and promises to buy him techy presents. Max texted back with a list of things he wanted, making Wade chuckle.

“Got kids? What am I saying, of course you do,” he said, turning to Javier, “Michael and what was her name? Oh right, Annabelle,” he sighed happily, “you know, I’ve always loved kids, never thought I’d have any though, cus you know,” he whistled, “anger issues,” he whispered, tapping his gun on his knee as he fiddled with the radio.

“What, what is it that you want?” he stammered, his hands shaking on the wheel as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly held up a hand, “where  _ are  _ my manners?! I’m Deadpool, as you know, this is Larry,” he held up his gun and pulled out a second, “and this is Moe,” he grinned at the sweating driver, “and what  _ we _ want is to know everything you know about Zion and remember,” he tapped Larry’s muzzle to his temple, “don’t pretend like you don’t know anything because I know you’re the lead scientist on the project.”

“It-it’s not a research project,” he stammered, his eyes locked on the road as he made his way through traffic.

“What is it?” 

“It’s,” he paused to gulp and wipe the sweat from his forehead, “you don’t understand, they’ll  _ kill me _ if I tell you anything.”

“Hmm, I think you’re the one confused because if you  _ don’t _ tell me, then I’m not just going to kill  _ you _ . I’m going to kill you and then go to your house, kill your wife, Joan, and your two little shih tzus, Molly and Tracey, and then I’m going to go to Harvard and put a bullet in Michael’s ugly face and  _ then _ -”

“Ok, ok!” he cried, actual tears streaming down his face and Wade leaned back, breathing in a steadying breath and waiting. “Project Zion is… is an auction.”

“An auction?”  _ {Wasn’t expecting that} _ “An auction for what?” he asked, knowing it couldn’t be anything good.

“Of,” he let out a shaking breath, “of genetically enhanced biological specimens,” he said, taking far too long to get the sentence out.

“What the fuck does that mean?” He knew what the words meant but he didn’t see how Zion was linked to an auction of a bunch of petri dishes.

“Mutants,” he spat the word and everything went black. 

_ {They’re auctioning off mutants} _

He attempted to draw in deep, steadying breaths but apparently, his lungs had filled with sand and he couldn’t catch his breath.

“Mutants?” he repeated questioningly, “why? What for?” Javier gulped, looking between the road and Larry.

“Lots of reasons, Kanel Industries puts it together every year. They’re um, the ones who bring in the mutants for the auction,” and there it was, Bradley’s connection to the whole shitshow. 

“Who buys them?” he shouted the question and Larry was pressing into Javier’s head and he didn’t care that he was scaring the man too much to drive safely, the car swerving across the road, he  _ had _ to know.

“Lots of people!” he shouted, holding up a hand and cowering, repeating himself until Wade clicked the safety off again.

“What people!”

“Governments!” he shrieked, “ok? Governments from all over the world and corporations doing research on mutants,” he wailed and the air was suddenly made out of lava and Wade was screaming for air, his mouth clamped shut as he struggled to keep it together.

“When is the auction?” he hissed through clenched teeth.

“August eleventh,” he quickly said, “in Washington DC.”

_ [Breathe] _

_ {Keep it together!} _

“You said they do this every year?” he asked, feeling like puking at the idea, “where do they get the mutants from?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head and when he lightly hit him with Larry he cried out, “I don’t know for real! Honestly! I just… I just represent Ygeia at the auction, I don't know where they get the specimen from!”

“PEOPLE!” he shouted so loud he felt his vocal cords ripping and knitting back together, “they’re PEOPLE Javier! Fuck!” he smacked Moe’s butt against the passenger window, shattering the glass and making Javier screech. 

“People! I mean people!” he quickly corrected. 

“Is that everything you know?” he asked, his voice deathly quiet.

“Yes, I swear, that’s all that I know,” he whimpered.

“Stop the car,” he growled and when Javier just looked at him in confusion he shot the radio, “STOP THE FUCKING CAR JAVIER!”

He left Javier on the Brooklyn Bridge sitting in his piss in his car, a bullet between his eyes. He hopped on the back of a garbage truck, riding it back towards the city. His heart was hammering in his chest and his vision was cloudy at the edges as he tried to breathe.

_ {They’re selling off mutants to the highest bidder} _

_ [Heru knew] _

_ That’s why he told us about it. To stop it. _

He’d shot the piece of shit scientist, a man willing to purchase another human being for the sole purpose of experimenting on him. He knew he should have asked him about the experiments they were doing, knew he could have gotten a lot more information and would probably regret it, but  _ fuck _ . The only other thing he did manage to get was Javier’s credentials to unlock the rest of the locked files on the drive. At least they’d be able to get the rest of the information without any further delays. Hooking an arm around the ladder, he pulled out his cell phone.

_   
_ _ To: Einstein _

_ Got the password for the files. Get to work _

He sent the information, his head pressed against the cold metal of the smelly truck. He wasn’t sure how he made it back to the apartment or how long he’d been staring at Moe on the coffee table.

_ {Do do it} _

_ [Not here, not in his fucking apartment. Don’t do that to him.] _

_ {It’s the only way to make it stop} _

_ From: Einstein _

_ Holy shit Pool. This is fucked up. I’m sending you everything now _ .

Wade glanced at the text, his mask off and discarded on the couch beside him, Larry still held in his hand. He tossed him on the cushion next to him. His mind hadn’t stopped spinning, memories of Weapon X, of the experiments and the torture on repeat in his head. He’d managed to control it, stop it from going critical but he knew he was on the edge. One little nudge and he’d be stuck in those memories, not only seeing them but experiencing it all over in a twisted hellish nightmare version of reality. He got up and walked over to the computer, opening the emails Max had sent. 

_ [Probably shouldn’t look at that but you’re going to anyway] _

_ {Gluten for punishment} _

Wade slowly sank into the chair as the documents Max had uncovered opened up and his worst nightmare was on the screen in front of him. Weapon X had been buying mutants from the Zion auction for years and they weren’t the only ones. There were hundreds of documents showing governments from every major country having purchased ‘specimens’. It wasn’t just Zion either. They had funded dozens of projects on mutants, on finding ways to kill and destroy them. There was some project called Infano that was looking into ways to not only detect mutants but if he understood correctly, it was looking into developing a bio-weapon against them. The files on the mutants though, that was what sent him over the edge, looking through their pictures. They had been captured from all over the world, every age, race and gender, just like the refugees had been but these people had also been tagged like animals, collared with power-blocking literal fucking collars and imprisoned in a facility, waiting for shipment. He couldn’t see anymore, the memories had taken over, his body flooding with adrenaline and cortisol as he spiraled into hell.

He was on the floor, screaming as he was being burned alive, slowly cooked so they could study the effects of a new weapon and how his healing factor would respond. It wouldn’t stop. He was being drowned over and over, water filling his lungs, the fire in his chest. He crawled onto the couch, no longer seeing the apartment, he wasn’t there, he was at Weapon X and they’d put him in that fucking tank. The air was being removed and he couldn’t fucking breathe. His skin was starting to blister, the cancer mutating as fast as his body could heal it, his lungs exploding. He found Larry on the cushion.

“Hey Swe-” 

Blessed release.

**July 8, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **10:11 PM** **  
** **Heru**

“Hey Swe-” blood and bone exploded, covering his face and shoulders as he stood behind the couch, Wade’s body falling heavily to the floor. All that was left of his head was a fragment of spine sticking out of the bloody, meaty mess of his neck. He stood frozen, staring at Wade’s body while he also felt his body slipping from his face, dripping into his eyes and onto the floor, his soul shattered into fragments that decorated a good portion of the apartment. Something inside of him screamed, some human fragment that couldn’t comprehend that he  _ knew _ Wade would regenerate, but was still watching him eat one of Larry’s bullets. He stood there for several minutes, Present counting them,  _ ‘five’ _ before he remembered how to move. Mechanically, he set the bag of sushi on the table.

_ {Guess we don’t need sushi anymore, we’ve got some right here} _

“That’s crass,” he replied, going to the sink and washing the blood from his face before going over to Wade’s body. He looked at it for a moment, watching in fascination as his soul coalesced, returning and rebinding itself to the flesh and bone. He watched as the new bone began to grow and he wondered how long it would take him to recover, knowing it would take a few hours at least.

_ ‘Guess you’re going to find out!’ _

He knelt down and dragged his body into the bathroom, managing to heft him into the bathtub where he would leave him until his head actually grew back  _ <smart, contain the blood> _ . Looking at him once more, he turned and closed the bathroom door. He had nothing to clean it up with, not having any need for cleaning supplies or rags. He stepped into the Between and reappeared in the Bed Bath & Beyond on 6th. He kept his presence hidden, only becoming visible to grab a dozen towels and step back into his apartment, dropping them on the kitchen table. He went to Wal-Mart and stole several bottles of bleach, returning to set them on the table next to the towels. He looked up at the ceiling, bits of flesh had stuck to it and he popped back into Wal-Mart to grab a mob and mop bucket. 

The voices were unusually quiet as he set about cleaning up, his mind replaying the moment over and over, throwing in memories of cleaning up after he had committed suicide, trying to get the blood out of the carpet so that no one would know what he’d done. He had to stand on a chair to reach the ceiling with the mop. The bucket needed to be drained multiple times and he made a pile of bone and flesh that he would have to take out to the garbage, too large to go down a drain. The brain matter he was able to mush down the kitchen drain though. He mopped the trail of blood that led to the bathroom from dragging his body, needing to change the water multiple times when he dealt with the large pool of blood at the foot of the couch. He was able to remove all the blood from everything except the couch, the yellow sheet had still been on it and had provided only a minor barrier. He stared at the spot for several minutes,  _ ‘ten’, _ before deciding nothing could be done about it. He couldn’t shift the couch through time, Wade’s blood was fixed, a part of the magic that would bind him to life, locking the event into the past. He looked down at his Mojo Jojo shirt, his green face had been painted in the blood too. He pulled his shirt off, running his thumb across the monkey’s splattered face. He folded it and put it in the laundry hamper and grabbed the Pokemon blanket. He almost considered tossing the blanket but since there was only minimal blood splatter, he pushed it into the basket and checked his pockets for change. Confirming he had enough for a load, he grabbed the basket and headed to the basement, pausing when he went to open the door. Blood still coated his arms and neck. He set the basket down and went into the washroom, he stared at the progress of Wade’s regeneration. The bone had repaired but the muscles were still regrowing and he looked like he was wearing an anatomical mask. He turned away and quickly washed himself, checking in the mirror to make sure he’d managed to get all the blood off, or at least, the majority. He closed the door behind him, grabbed the hamper and headed down to where the washer and dryer were. He put the blanket and his t-shirt in the washing machine, buying a package of detergent from the machine on the wall and headed back upstairs. He gathered up all the rags, using one to collect the organic material, [ _ Wade sushi] _ , and dropped it all in the middle of the sheet. He watched for a moment as the blood soaked into the sheet from the bits of bone and whatnot. The veins of the cotton absorbing the blood like it was life, turning the fabric orange before crimson. Blinking a few times, he refocused and rolled the sheet up, trapping the contents in the middle. He realized he didn’t have any garbage bags and not wanting to go into another store, he simply walked the bloody bundle outside where he tossed it into the dumpster in the alley behind his apartment. The one below the fire escape Wade insisted on using instead of the front door. Heru went back inside and grabbed the last towel and covered the majority of the stain on the couch. It had taken him an hour and he was certain he hadn’t been as thorough as he should have been but it was enough. The apartment reeked of bleach but he could still smell the gore, it would be there forever now, that moment fixed and he would see it every time he walked into the room. It replayed and he was watching it from where he stood by the bathroom, watching as Deadpool crawled his way to the couch, lost somewhere inside his mind. He had pulled himself into a sitting position, picked Larry up and put the barrel in his mouth. He saw himself appear, grinning and looking forward to another night of finding new ways to make him scream his name. He pulled the trigger and his head exploded from the force, a large chunk of skull hitting Heru’s past self in the face, skin sticking to him.

He turned away, his movements slow and sluggish and went into the bathroom. Wade’s head had grown back completely, the skin still raw and new, the final layer still forming. Carefully, he removed his suit, starting with the weapons first. He piled them by the toilet. His hands shook as he started removing his suit, remembering earlier that day how he had ripped it off in his desperate need to feel him, to get close to his warmth and be wrapped up in his being. His hands were covered in blood by the time he got the top off. He set it in the sink. He removed his boots and pants, unable to stop himself from smiling at the pair of Spider-Man underwear. He left them on. He carefully washed the blood from his suit, careful not to get the leather too wet and brought it into the living room where he folded it and placed it gently on the coffee table. He went back and gathered his weapons in his arms, dumping them onto the floor and wincing as Curly let off a round. He quickly ensured the safety was on all of them before lining them up against the wall. He set Bae and Arthur against the coffee table. 

He managed to drag Wade back out into the living room after washing off his body, it was fully healed but it would still be some time before his brain had recovered. That was undoubtedly why he had chosen the headshot. It would provide him with the longest break from existence and the pain would be minimal due to being unconscious during the regrowth. He hauled him onto the couch, laying him down in a comfortable position, his hands folded on his stomach. He sniffed the air and realized that the smell of bleach was probably painful for a human nose and he opened the windows, hoping it would air it out. Hesitating for a moment, he glanced at Wade before stepping back into the Between and walking into Yankee Candle. 

“Excuse me,” he approached the sales clerk and only remembered that he was still half naked when she gave him an appreciative once over. 

“Can I help you with something?” she asked, handing her customer their bag and turning her full attention to him. 

“I need candles,” he blurted and she gave him a confused smile.

“Well, you came to the right place,” she walked out from around the counter, “what kind of candles were you looking for?”

“Smelly ones. Like,  _ really _ smelly but good smelly, none of that flowery shit,” he said. He could have just stolen them like he’d done with everything else but he would have risked getting candles that smelled like ass for all he knew. His sense of smell was far too different and alien for him to be able to pick out candles that would smell good to a human and it had been too long to remember how things were supposed to smell. 

She laughed, “I think I know exactly what you need,” she said and walked over to a large cabinet filled with a variety of shapes, sizes and colored candles, “I’d either recommend going with something like a baked good or either something woodsy, what do you need them for?”

_ <To cover up the smell of bleach and blood> _

“My boyfriend hasn’t been feeling well, I’d like the apartment to smell nice when he wakes up,” he said, the word boyfriend feeling odd in his mouth, the shape foreign against his tongue.

“Aww! You’re such a sweetie!” she gushed, “well in that case I would  _ definitely _ recommend going with something that smells yummy, here smell this one,” she picked up a large jar candle, removed the lid and held it out, the label said Christmas Cookies.

“Uh,” he pulled his head back as his nose was assaulted by the chemicals, “I don’t have a sense of smell, so I’m not sure. If you say it smells good, then I’ll get five,” he told her.

“Oh,” her face fell in sympathy, “no smell huh? That sucks! Can you still taste stuff? ‘Cus I know like, when I’m sick and my nose is all stuffy, I can’t taste very well. Do you think they’re connected?” she rambled as she awkwardly grabbed five of the jars, he grabbed one so it didn’t fall from her arms and break.

“They are,” _ <for humans> _ he answered, trying to figure out how he was having the conversation in the first place, “my sense of taste is pretty different.”

“That’s too bad! I can’t imagine not being able to smell anything or taste stuff!” she prattled, the till beeping loudly as she scanned each candle, “that’ll be one hundred and thirty two dollars and fifty six cents,” she said and he looked at the candles.

“Christ, you guys don’t fuck around with the price of these,” he said, not actually caring at the expensiveness, money wasn’t exactly a problem for an immortal, but he remembered there always being a Yankee candle in almost every room of Ava’s house  _ <his adopted mother before Ammon> _ and he’d always associated it with wealth. A clean, nice smelling home was for the rich.

She laughed fictitiously, “high quality isn’t always cheap,” she said, her words rehearsed and clearly used often. He pulled out his wallet and handed over the cash.

“Thanks,” he mumbled and left, stepping out the door and into his apartment. Wade was still on the couch, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and deep. He bent down and kissed his forehead before setting the candles around the room and lighting them with his lighter. After standing back and assessing his work, he decided it was good enough and Heru went and grabbed his cellphone and earbuds. He grabbed Wade’s bottle of leather conditioning and his suit. He sat down, carefully positioning the merc’s head in his lap. He put on his headphones and turned his music on and for a while, he simply sat there, tracing the lines and contours of his face with his fingertips as he listened to his music. Deciding that it would be decidedly creepy if Wade woke up and he was sitting there staring at him like that after everything, he set to work on the suit. He grabbed the conditioner, one of the rags he’d made from the towels and began working it into the red and black leather. When Battle Symphony started to play, he hummed along quietly, slowly working the oil into the leather, careful not to apply too much, his mind going blissfully blank.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

###  Chapter Sixteen

**July 9, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **3:27 AM** **  
** **Wade**

He was warm and comfortable and it smelled like sugar cookies, leather and vague hints of pine when Wade first became aware again and he melted into its comfort, his mind blissfully quiet. The sound of distant music could be heard over the ever pervasive sounds of traffic, car horns and people that was New York City. He slowly opened his eyes, staring up at Heru’s inked chest, his lips moving as he sang along to the words to the music playing in his ears, the soft glow of candlelight dancing across his sharp features and Wade sighed contentedly. 

_ {Wait for it} _

He reached up, touching Heru’s cheek and grinning lazily when the other turned his gaze to him, his soft eyes kind and full of a warmth he’d forgotten was possible to see in another’s eyes.

_ [It’ll sink in any second now] _

“Hey handsome,” Heru greeted, leaning down to plant a kiss on his mouth. Wade pulled him down closer, his tongue teasing Heru’s bottom lip before he pulled away, his lip ring between his teeth. Drawing in a deep breath of the delicious smell of cookies; he stilled as he picked up the distinct smell of bleach.

_ Wait a second _ , he swallowed, panic rising. He was on the couch, his  _ head _ in Heru’s lap which meant...

_ {There it is!} _

_ [Remember now you dumb fuck?] _

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck _ , his heart started to thunder against his chest. If he was on the couch with his head in Heru’s lap that meant he had seen him after unaliving himself. He turned and looked around, the apartment cleaner than he’d ever seen it and guilt choked him.

“You’re here,” Wade said when he could get the words out and Heru looked at him confused for a moment before nodding and answering.

“Yea, I’ve got the night off,” he said with a smile, brushing his fingertips across Wade’s brow. He looked up at him.

“But you stayed, after seeing…” he didn’t want to finish the sentence but Heru just shrugged.

“You pulling a Hemmingway? I’ve seen worse,” he pointed out.

“I’m sorry, I…” he was going to lie and say he thought he’d have time to clean up afterwards but he hadn’t been thinking, he’d just wanted it to stop and he felt sick at the idea of Heru seeing him like that, “I understand if you’re mad at me.”

“Mad?” Heru frowned and leaned forward, setting aside whatever he’d been doing, “why would I be mad at you for being in so much pain the only way to make it stop was to reset?” he asked, genuine confusion in his gentle eyes. Wade’s chest did something funny, the breath almost stuttering out.

“Because I made sushi with my brains all over your apartment,” he pointed out and Heru laughed.

“Yea, I know that’s what you said too, Christ,” he said over his shoulder, “I’m not mad Wade, I understand the need all to well and when I could, I used to do it, quite a lot actually,” he smiled.

“You didn’t have to do all this though,” he gestured at himself, aware that not only had Heru taken care of him but he’d cleaned him off, tucked him under the warm, freshly cleaned blanket and made sure he wouldn’t wake up in some god awful position that would make his chronic pain worse for a few days.

“Oh, habit I guess,” he shrugged, “I haven’t actually done it for anyone else but whenever I died, Andreas or one of my brothers would always make sure I’d wake up clean and they’d position me so I didn’t wake up to sleeping limbs or anything,” he explained, “but if you’re feeling up to it, I would like to know why, if you’re able to tell me, what got you to that point?” And just like that all the reasons came flooding back, the flashbacks to Weapon X, the files on the mutants to be sold at Zion, the experiments and all the fucking awful things Bradley was involved in.

“Bradley,” he hissed and sat up, the beginnings of a migraine thudding against his temples, “I found out what Project Zion is,” he said, glancing at Heru.

“Ah,” he grabbed Wade’s mask and went back to tending to the leather, “and it triggered some memories?” he asked.

“Yea,” he looked at the table and saw his suit all clean and freshly oiled, “thank you,” he said again, noticing his guns lined up and the numerous candles providing the only source of light aside from the street lamps outside.

_ [It’d be romantic if he hadn’t just spent the night cleaning your brains off the ceiling] _

“Are you hungry? I was thinking of ordering Chinese but didn’t want it to get cold and I wasn’t sure how long it’d take for you to wake up. There’s sushi in the fridge if you want something immediately,” he reached over and grabbed his phone, waiting for his answer before calling.

“Starved,” he admitted and grabbed the clean hoodie and pants and got dressed, affection for the other man expanding almost painfully in his chest.

_ [Yep, you’re so screwed] _

While Heru ordered an army’s worth of food, he went to the washroom and then to the computer and started printing off the files on Zion. Heru continued working on the mask and he grabbed the pages and sat down. “So Zion is an auction, which I’m guessing you already knew that?”

“Yea,” he grimaced, his expression apologetic and Wade got the impression he expected him to be mad at him for not telling him everything. He wasn’t, he could almost understand the whole not revealing the future thing, he wasn’t an idiot.

_ {At least not entirely} _

“Well, the piece of shit doctor working for Ygeia gave up some information before he had a life changing conversation with Larry,” he told him, settling in on the couch and flipping through the papers, looking for the golden invitation he’d uncovered and handed it to him, “every year they auction off mutants, using a political conference in DC as cover,” Heru looked over the invite, his eyes blank and completely expressionless.

_ {Does anyone else find that disconcerting? No? Alright} _

“They sell them off to different governments and corporations for science,” he said, his voice turning into a growl, “they’ve been supplying Weapon X with mutants for years and every other piece of shit, scab-bag institute like it. I have to stop it,” he stared at the image of a young woman, her skin covered in scales, the gills on her neck taped painfully shut, a collar clasped around it. Her eyes stared up at him full of nothing but hopelessness, her lips parted as she gasped for air. 

_ [Want some more flashbacks?] _ he closed his eyes, breathing hard as he remembered being strapped to his bed for days, no food, no water, no people just alone in the dark, completely helpless as pain ravaged his body. Heru’s cool fingers wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him back to the apartment.

“Hey, stay here ok?” he whispered, curling in closer and kissing along his jaw, “or take me with you.” He wondered what he meant but instead of asking, he pulled him onto his lap and Heru straddled him, his thighs pressing against his hips.

“Gladly,” he kissed him, letting his cool body distract him momentarily from the desperation in his chest.

“What do you need to stop it?” Heru asked when they separated and it took a moment for him to remember what they’d been talking about.

_ {Dumbass} _

“I need to find out more information,” he said with a sigh, “more hours going through all these fucking files and looking for the info on where they’re being stored and how they’re being transported. It’ll likely be easiest to get to them during transit. I’ve seen Weapon X’s security and I’m betting the security around wherever they’re holding them is going to be tight and the same goes for when they’re in DC. If I only had to think about my safety, I wouldn’t care about taking on their whole operation, but knowing they can’t kill me will likely corner them into hurting the mutants.”

“That makes sense and yea, it would,” he sat back on Wade’s knees and looked through the pages he’d printed, “I can help you go through them, give you an extra set of eyes,” he offered and Wade smiled.

“That’d be great, thanks gummy bear.”

**July 11, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **9:30 PM** **  
** **Heru**

“There,” Heru said, pinning the last page to the wall and stepping back. Deadpool attached the strand of yarn to the pin and the other end to the pin holding the picture of Bradley to the wall. They had printed off every document, Heru had to pop back to Wal-Mart to take several ink cartridges and a few boxes of paper, but it’d made going through everything easier than trying to find patterns scrolling through the pages on the computer. The table was covered in more pages, memos and requisitions for staples and other useless information.

_ {An excellent use of paper, not wasteful at all} _

_ ‘Not at all! It’s not like a tree died just for you to throw it in the garbage’ _

_ <We’ll give it to Louis for his nest> _

Together they stood back and admired their work. They had worked on it nonstop for the last two days, Heru only leaving for a few hours each day to get his reaping down. He was still projecting memories into Bradley’s mind while reading through the endless files, still ensuring he never had a restful sleep but the need to watch him suffer was pushed away, no longer the center of his thoughts.

_ [So very human of you]  _ It had been difficult not to just spill the beans about everything regarding Zion but there were still certain things that had to happen and he was going to do his best not to interfere anymore. 

_ {Too late} _

_ ‘Ya you’ve done enough of that already’ _

_ [You think?] _

Wade had had several more panic attacks the more they found out. Mr. Einstein, Wade’s apparent hacker contact, had unlocked the last of the files and sent over the numerous reports and research that Ygeia had been conducting for the past five years. He didn’t try to comfort him, not while he was in the midst of the attack, remembering how Andreas had sat with him during his episodes, singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. So he sat near him, refraining from touching him and being pulled into his flashbacks with him and instead he tried to bring him back gently by singing the same song, his voice seemed to calm him and give him something else to focus on. 

“So,” Wade said, stroking his chin as he examined their Wall of DoucheTM , “still no word on when they’re shipping them?” he asked, glancing down at Heru who shook his head.

_ {They arrive August eighth} _

“Nope,” he leaned against the table, his gaze landing on the memo discussing Infano and he bit his tongue, his teeth piercing through the muscle as he fought the urge to point it out, “I think the best way to find that out would be to get a hold of Bradley’s calendar,” he said.

“Mmm, smart,” he nodded in agreement and grabbed the container of pad Thai and shoveled some into his mouth, “so think we could just blow up every building Kenal Industries owns?” he asked around his mouthful and Heru snickered.

“I mean, we  _ could _ do that,” and for a moment he actually considered it, quickly adding up how many people that would kill, “but I think we should at least try to keep the mass murder to under a thousand,” he concluded and Wade eyed him curiously for a moment.

“Did you just actually calculate how many people would die if we did that?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips. Heru shrugged and he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, “aw, my little death savant,” he kissed the top of his head before releasing him and walking up to the wall.

_ ‘It’s cool he’s on board for the whole mass murder thing’ _

_ <Is it?> _

“What is it?” he asked, noticing a shift in Wade’s posture as he studied the wall.

“Probably nothing, just,” he tapped a memo, “I keep seeing this name, Infano, it keeps coming up.” Heru stiffened for a split second before forcing himself to relax.

_ [Don’t.] _

_ {You know you can’t} _

_ <Just one hint?> _

_ [Not a fucking word] _

“It’s probably just some ongoing project that has nothing to do with Zion,” he managed, keeping his tone light, “the focus should be on getting his calendar, which he doesn’t keep a digital copy and he keeps it on his person pretty much constantly.” Wade didn’t respond right away, still mulling over the memo before sighing and turning around.

“Guess that means I get to do a little B&E,” he said excitedly and Heru grinned.

_ ‘Is it wrong that we kind of adore how much he enjoys breaking the law?’ _

_ <Nah> _

“Pictures only and he can’t know you’ve been there,” he said, hopping onto the table as he walked up to him, positioning himself between his legs and draping his muscular arms around his neck, “he’s near breaking point and more dangerous now than ever. He’s paranoid as fuck and knows you’re getting close and he’ll kill anyone he thinks is in league with you,” he warned, looking up into his eyes.

“Does he know that we’ve got all his records?” he asked, brushing his lips against the tip of his nose. Heru breathed him in, closing his eyes momentarily to savor it. Since their first time together, he found it nearly impossible to not be touching some part of him all the time, his warmth addictive.

“He doesn’t know the extent of it but,” he slipped his hands down his chest, “he’s about to and,” he shuddered as his breath fell against his neck, his lips brushing under his earlobe and thinking about just how furious Bradley was going to be, “he’s gonna be piiiiiissed.” Wade chuckled, his chest rumbling and breath tickling his skin.

“Good,” he sighed, erasing all thoughts of Bradley and the evil he was a part of, Wade’s burning skin the only thing he wanted to feel and think about as his hands slid up his shirt. 

_ “That’s the way the money goes, pop goes the weasel!” _ Wade’s cell phone loudly interrupted, buzzing its song as it moved across the table. Groaning in annoyance, Wade felt around for the contraption, still kissing along his neck as he answered.

“What’s up Weas?” he mumbled, pulling a bit of skin between his teeth and eliciting a whimper from Heru. 

_ “This girl came in looking for you,” _ Heru heard him say, the phone close enough to his own ear to hear the other end of the conversation.

“Was she cute?” he asked, his free hand massaging its way up Heru’s thigh. He flicked Wade’s nipples, making him gasp, and he slid his hands down over his stomach and into his sweatpants, earning a low moan.

_ “Um, Wade… what are you doing?” _ Weasel asked and Heru stifled a laugh, watching his eyes roll back and his mouth stutter as he slowly stroked his rapidly hardening cock.

“Just having a little hand to hand with Death, keep going, it’s good,” he managed and Heru bit his lip, knowing he was talking to both of them, his hand finally reaching Heru’s crotch and undoing his pants, his hand slipped inside.

_ “I feel dirty,” _ Weasel whispered halfheartedly and Heru laughed,  _ “uh, ok, so she didn’t look like the killer type, she seemed more scared than anything. She wouldn’t tell me what she wanted with you but asked me to pass on a message, _ ” he explained, used to Wade’s lack of decorum. Heru picked up his pace, his thumb rubbing against his dripping head, his breathing getting heavier.

“What’s the message?” he managed to say, pulling away his hand and gathering a large amount of spit and spitting it into his hand before returning it to Heru’s pants.

_ “Did you just spit? Christ Wade, you’re a disgusting animal you know that? Did you at least buy her dinner first?” _ he remarked, his tone half amused and half disgusted.

“The lube is too far,” he stated bluntly and Heru laughed at the very loud groan of disgust from the other end. He pulled his hands away and pushed him back, winking when he glared at him. He slid off the table, hastily grabbed the lube and traded spots, pulling his sweatpants down to his ankles and getting on his knees. Wade grinned, not even attempting to quiet his moan as he took him in his mouth.

_ “Should I just call back?” _

“No, no, it’s-it’s f-fine,” he stammered, his fingers lacing through his hair, “just give me the message already.”

_ “Fine. She wants you to meet her tonight at Corlears Hook, said she’d be on a bench in front of the amphitheater and to meet her at eleven,” _ he said.

“She give you a name or anything else?” he asked, bucking his hips so that he hit the back of Heru’s throat and Heru tilted his head so that he could take him in deeper.

_ “No, just said it was really important and that she was in danger and needed your help,” _ he said, pointedly ignoring the grunts coming from him.   
“Mm, message received,” he flipped the phone closed and gripped his head with both hands, hips bucking as he came. Heru closed his eyes, swallowing around him before pulling off, “I had no idea you were an exhibitionist,” he teased breathlessly, his voice thick and low as he looked down at him through lidded eyes. Heru jumped up, Wade catching him as he wrapped his legs around his waist, cupping the back of his head with both hands.

“I have a  _ lot _ of kinks,” he whispered and Wade made that delightful half groan half moan that he was falling in love with.

“Good thing we’re both immortal,” he murmured against his shoulder, “we have a long time to explore all of them together.”

_ <Is he implying he wants this to be long term?> _

_ ‘That’s usually what that combination of words in this context means.’ _

_ [It might be what he wants right now, but that’s going to change] _

_ {Soon} _

“Mmm, are you going to go meet your mysterious Maiden?” he asked, sighing against him.

_ {You know what’s coming} _

_ [This is the beginning of the end] _

_ ‘It doesn’t have to be that way!’ _

“Hmm, should I?” he asked, pulling away to study his face. Heru stared up at him, guilt and fear raging war against the ice inside him. 

_ No, please don’t go, it’s better if you don’t get involved with this one. _

“You’ve already decided to go,” he answered, bringing a hand around to cup his cheek, grateful that the pain he felt couldn’t be expressed, knowing his eyes would be filled with tears if they could. 

_ Why does it have to hurt so much? _

_ [Because you’re choosing this. Give up your humanity and allow them to decide their own fate.] _

“You already know me so well, snookums” he grinned and, stepping out of his pants, he carried him over to the couch where he promptly tossed him down. Heru laughed, bouncing off the cushions and holding up his arms, beckoning him to him, “I gotta get going if I’m gonna get there in time,” he said regretfully, pulling off his sweater. Heru whistled and bit his lip, stretched out to let his shirt ride up, making Wade stare.

“I won’t be here when you get back,” he told him, thinking about the soul he would be reaping later.

“Should I be jealous?” he asked as he pulled on his suit, doing up the many zippers.

“Always,” he smiled and then sighed and swung his legs off the couch, sitting up, “I have to work.”

“Am I gonna see you while you’re working?” he asked, not so subtly trying to figure out if he was about to go into a fatal situation for someone. 

“Nope, you’re good,” he handed him his belt.   
“Alrighty sweetums,” he grabbed Bea and Arthur, strapping the harness on and leaning down to kiss him briefly, “I’ll see ya later.”

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he kissed him quickly, pulling away and watching him crawl out the window, disappearing into the night.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

###  Chapter Seventeen

**July 11, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **10:30 PM** **  
** **Wade**

Wade climbed down the fire escape, jumping the last twenty feet to the ground.

“Oh yeaaaa, superhero landing!” he said as he jumped. He landed and immediately fell over, “owie,” he complained as his shattered legs began to repair themselves. 

_ {Smooth} _

_ [You knew that would happen, just...why?] _

“Cool superhero landing obviously,” he groaned and staggered to his feet, wincing with every step until the healing had finished, “gotta take advantage of the super strength and heal factor, am I right?” he winked up at the sky and headed downtown. He had time, so he took the subway, stopping to have a dance off with a break dancer in the tunnels while waiting for his train. 

“You’re lucky my train is here!” he called, moving with the throng of people while waving to the dancer, “or I would have wiped this very dirty disgusting floor with your ass!” He rode the train and hummed happily to himself, people seemed to keep their distance from him, eyeing him warily. He transferred once and got off at Grand St and East Broadway. By the time he made it to the park, it was only a few minutes before he was supposed to meet the mysterious woman. Since he had the time, he did a quick walk around, looking around for any sign that he might be walking into a trap.

_ [Doubt it, Heru would have told you] _

_ {If not, he would have at least said he’d meet you here} _

He strolled down the pathway, humming a tuneless tune. It had been another week of intense humidity but it had cooled off finally and the river was blanketed in fog, the lantern posts along the path muted, their light struggling to penetrate the fog.

_ [The perfect clichéd setting for a clandestine meeting] _

It was mostly empty, there were a few people walking along the river, a few homeless looking for a decent spot to set up camp for the night but mostly, it was quiet. He made his way to the amphitheater, hopping down the steps as he approached the river. He could see someone sitting on a bench, looking out at the fog by themselves and he made a beeline for them.

“Excuse me, miss, but you wouldn’t happen to be the mysterious lady who went to Sister Margaret’s looking for a reckless but lovable mercenary, would you?” he asked as he sat down on the bench next to her, making her jump in fright.

“You startled me, Mr. Wilson,” she snapped, closing her collar around her throat and clutching her purse even tighter, “keep your voice down, I might have been followed.”

“Oops sorry,” he whispered loudly, “I’ve never been good at the whole subtle, covert tactics, not really my style.”

“I know,” she sighed, “but this is too important and you were the only one I could think of who could possibly do something about this.” 

“About what?” he asked, rifling through a pouch and pulling out a pack of Mentos, “mento?” she looked at him dubiously, “the pink ones are my favorite but you can have it.”

“Can you please be serious?” she scolded and he sighed loudly.

“I can try, you’ve got two minutes,” he said, crossing a leg over his other knee and folding his hands in his lap, quickly glancing at his watch, “and go!” She stared at him in disbelief for a moment before shaking her head.

“I have sensitive information regarding a project that Kenal Industries has been funding and…” she hesitated, “and I want to give it to you.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because you’re the only one who might be able to stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Project Infano,” she whispered.

“Hey, I’ve heard of that! It keeps showing up but there aren't any actual files on it,” he frowned.

“There isn’t, it’s too sensitive and Mr. Bradley didn’t want any of the information saved to the mainframe, in case it was hacked like it was recently,” she explained.

“Wait, you know Captain Douche Canoe too?” he wasn’t sure what he had expected, some low level employee who had found out the big ugly truth about the boss and wanted out maybe?

“I’m his secretary,” she said coldly.

“And why would his secretary want to hand over classified information to the guy that’s rumored to be trying to kill him?” he questioned and she lifted her chin, her knuckles turning white around her purse.

“Because, because I cannot continue to live with myself and work for a monster, I’ve done…” her voice broke and she looked away from him, “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of Mr. Wilson. I’ve stood by and said nothing as I watched law after law be broken, as I watched-” she closed her eyes, tears rolling down her painted cheeks, “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t stand idly by and allow it to happen but I’m not in a position to do anything about it. This is all that I can do,” she wiped her tears away with a determined hand and pulled a CD from her purse, her hand trembling violently as she handed it to him, “this is everything I could get on Project Infano.”

“Why don’t you just tell me what it is?” he asked, sick of having to go through more fucking documents.

“Because I don’t know exactly what it is, I just know it’s something he’s working on for the military,” she admitted, her cheeks reddening in the muted light, “I… I overheard one of the scientists telling Mr. Bradley that he didn’t think it was ready for testing yet, that there had been unforeseen complications in the last test and that if they tested it outside of the lab, there could be...unpleasant side effects. That disk… it has the test results from the lab. I was ordered to destroy it. I got rid of the report but I was able to steal this. It’s encrypted,”  _ {fucking fantastic!} _ , “I don’t know what you’ll be able to find out but… it might help you. If he’s pushing for something to be tested before it’s ready, it can’t be good and likely has to do with his research into mutants,” she explained and Wade looked down at the disk, the light glinting off the plastic film.

“Aren’t you worried he’ll find out what you did?” he asked but he could guess the answer just by looking at her. Her nails, which were painted and showed clear signs of regular manicures, were chewed to the point that they’d bled. The make up she wore wasn’t enough to cover the dark circles under her eyes but mostly he could see the fear in them as she stared back at him. She smiled bitterly.

“I’m certain he will but that isn’t important,” she got to her feet and looked at him, “what’s important is that you get whatever hacker you had to break into the mainframe to decrypt that disk and stop whatever insanity he has started.” Wade stood up and tucked the disk inside his pocket.

“I will,” he promised, “I can take you to a safe house. He won’t get to you, I can personally guarantee your safety,” he offered, not wanting her to leave, knowing that Bradley would definitely find out and he highly doubted he’d be impressed by her initiative. 

“Thank you, Mr. Wilson, that’s kind of you to offer but I won’t be needing your protection,” she said, giving him a sad smile and walking away. He watched her until the fog consumed her before he headed back to the subway, his mind racing.

_ {What the fuck is Project Infano and why is everyone losing their shit over it?} _

“Who else is losing their shit?” he asked Yellow, climbing the hill and walking back out onto the street, the sounds of traffic louder. Yellow didn’t answer, the boxes falling silent as he brooded over the cryptic meeting and Project Zion. While it was great to be busy again,  _ [paid busy would be better but beggars can’t be choosers] _ , he already had a big evil plan to foil and adding in a second was maybe a little overkill in his opinion. He decided now would be good as any to do his little B&E and he headed for Madison Square Park Tower.

**July 12, 1998**

**228 E 85th St**

**Upper East Side, New York City** **  
** **12:29 AM** **  
** **Heru**

Heru watched Karen Jane Swan as she finished putting the last of the dishes away and turned, wiping her hands on the pristine towel as she assessed her work. She had returned from her meeting with Deadpool over an hour ago and had begun her preparations. He sat at the dining room table and she was so acutely aware of what she was doing that she could almost sense his presence without him projecting it at all. That was how it usually was when someone was going to be successful. She had cried on and off, questioning her resolve only to slap herself in the face and clench her jaw so tightly Heru wondered if she was going to crack her teeth. She had come home trembling head to toe, but still determined. He’d watched her as she had cleaned her apartment to perfection, erasing all signs that she had lived there save the few personal items that remained. She had donated most of her belongings the week before. Karen had made a home in that apartment, there had been signs of it everywhere before, the past ten years of her life had been spent sharing her existence with the space. It was filled with the scent of her soul, and her essence clung to the walls, leaving imprints everywhere; the walls would remember her. She had been happy there, in the home she had made for herself but she had paid for it with her soul, at least that was how she felt. Guilt and shame lingered in the corners like cobwebs left to fester and gradually she had woken up to realize that she was as much as a slave as the people she had watched her boss sell off. She had earned Alexander’s trust after helping him save a contract with a slave trader, she hadn’t known what he was at the time. She grew to care for him, first ignoring the warning signs out of loyalty and affection and then out of greed. She grew comfortable with the life he had provided her with and she reasoned that it didn’t really matter how she’d gotten it, she deserved to be happy after all, didn’t she? Slowly over the years, she had learned the truth of what Alex really was and her life rapidly descended into a nightmare version of reality. She had been trapped for the last few years, no longer able to turn a blind eye but crippled by fear. Who could she turn to when those sworn to protect the people were the ones attending the auctions, as equally corrupt as Alex? She had given up hope, had considered trying to reach out to some hero like Spider-Man or the Avengers but it had all been impossible. Besides, she had no proof, that was until today. She had already made her decision and it seemed like God was giving her a chance to make things right when Alex had handed her that file, the CD tucked inside of it. She knew that Deadpool had been hired, and fired, by Alex to kill someone and instead he had turned on him. It had been her only hope, her only chance and she had taken the CD, swearing to herself that she would do one good thing before she ended her nightmare. 

There were letters on the mantel, Heru glanced at them, one to her parents and one to her younger brother. She had left everything to them, there was enough in her savings for her parents to live off of in their retirement and a decent amount to help her brother with his student loans. She did not tell them the truth behind what she was going to do, it would have put them in danger. Instead, she had lied, tarnishing the memories they would have of her, forever leaving them to question.  He followed her into her bedroom where she began to undress, removing each piece of clothing and folding it carefully and placing it on the foot of her bed. She removed her earrings and the tears began again, quiet sobs escaping her as she set them in her jewelry box. She removed her rings and necklace, kissing the little golden cross. 

_ ‘How strange’ _

_ [She prays for forgiveness] _

She would receive it, not from the god she prayed to, or maybe he would, he didn’t deal with deities, but he knew what was to become of her soul in the next life and he hoped it would be a small comfort to her. Naked, she went into the bathroom and turned the bath on, waiting for the water to heat up before putting the stopper in. She took out her lavender bubble bath and poured a generous amount in. She had chosen that method over a month ago. Karen had always been practical and she knew what would happen upon her death, knew that death was not clean, no matter how quietly it may come. He tried to ignore the ache inside of him but opening himself up to Wade had meant opening himself up to more than he wanted. He had grown used to reaping, barely feeling anything for the souls he ferried beyond a sense of duty, after all, death was a natural part of the cycle. Lately however, he watched as she brought in the bottle of vodka and the small bottle of pills, the scalpel she had ordered off the internet already on the ledge, he was struggling. She set them on the edge of the whirlpool bath and stood in front of the mirror and took down her auburn hair so that it fell in locks around her shoulders. Her soul had already let go, the only thread tying it to this world was fused to her body and for a split second, she could see him standing in the doorway. Gasping, she spun around, her eyes searching the empty space wildly. He quietly waited, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets as he stared at the floor. She climbed into the tub, sighing as she was enveloped in the warm, rumbling water. For a moment, she allowed herself to forget about everything and just enjoyed the simple, human pleasure of the hot bubbles and the relaxation it brought. 

Slowly, methodically, she opened the pill bottle and set the cap on the ledge. She opened the bottle of vodka and, drawing in a deep steadying breath, she poured a bunch of pills into her mouth and drank, swallowing them painfully, gagging several times. It was not as easy to swallow so many pills as she had hoped. She pulled the bottle away with a gasp, took a few deep breaths, tears streaming freely down her face as she poured the rest of the pills in her mouth and washed them down with the alcohol. Her head spinning from the alcohol and adrenaline, she set the bottle down and picked up the scalpel. Heru walked over and sat on the edge, a cold patience working to numb his grief. She waited several minutes, allowing the alcohol and pills to bring her to a certain level of numbness before she acted. She removed the protective cap, wiped the bubbles from her left wrist and placed the tip to her pale forearm. Sobbing, she pressed it as deep as she could and began to drag it upwards, her sobs deepening as the burning pain spread up her arm, the water rapidly turning pink as the blade cut through the median vein. She dropped the scalpel in the water and she tried to pick it up, cutting the tips of her fingers as she did so. With her weakening left hand, she did the same to her right forearm, having to stop and start a few times as her vision began to blur and her hand shook. She eventually got it, cutting through that median vein as well, the scalpel falling into the water. She did not try to pick it up again but lowered herself deeper, submerging her arms.  Heru drew in a breath, watching as the life faded from her, her energy shifting and separating. It took a long time, the pills only serving to make her too groggy to back out, the alcohol the first line of defense and they wouldn’t have been enough on their own. The water darkened, slowly turning red as her life drained from her. For a moment, they sat on the edge together, looking down at her as her heart slowed to a stop. 

“I did it,” she whispered from beside him and he looked at her, the weight of her grief pressing into him. 

“Yes, you did,” he confirmed, looking back at her body.

“I had to, you know? He would have done…” she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“I know,” he agreed, she was right. If she had not taken her own life, Bradley would have found out what she had done and he would have made sure she spent the rest of her life wishing she had.

“Am I going to hell?” she asked, her eyes darting to her dresser where the cross necklace hung on the jewelry tree, fear turning her soft eyes round.

“No,” he smiled and held out a hand, “you’ll learn from this and you’ll make the right choices next time,” he told her, knowing it was what she needed to hear, knowing her soul wouldn’t retain any memories of their conversation. He never lied to the dead. Tears filled her eyes and with one last glance at her body, she placed her own hand in his. He opened his mouth and breathed in, his eyes turning black as her soul separated, he breathed in the human shell that had been Karen, becoming a part of him while the rest of her soul settled safely in his chest, waiting for him to take it to its next life. 

The blackness faded from his eyes and he stood alone in the bathroom, her body already growing cold as her eyes stared lifelessly at the wall. 

_ It hurts.  
_ _ [Let go and it won’t]  
_ _ {If you think this hurts now…}  _

A wave of nausea hit him and he gripped his stomach, the grief reminding him what it had felt like when he was alive. The coldness settled in, wiping away the nausea but leaving him shivering and empty. He turned and stepped into the Between. He focused on his destination, arriving in the bedroom of two college kids. He opened his palm and Karen’s soul traveled down his chest and was released into the air, settling in the young woman’s swollen abdomen. He turned and stepped into his apartment. Wade was on the couch, snoring loudly, one arm draped across his face, the other hanging to the side, his hand on the floor. He bathed in the light of his soul, drinking in his heart. He shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his shoes and pants before he crawled on top of him, settling between his legs and resting his head on his chest. 

“Mm,” he half woke up and wrapped his arms around him, “you’re cold,” he murmured before falling silent, his breathing deep. 

_ <It’s always cold> _

_ ‘Please, can we tell him? Please?’ _

He gripped Wade’s t-shirt, his knuckles turning white as he closed his eyes, his head rising and falling with his chest. The sound of his heart beating steadily was the only sound he focused on as he tried desperately to remember what it had been like to be alive. Memories of Andreas seeped their way in, he had known what Heru was from the beginning, knew that he was as much a monster as those they had worked for but he had accepted him. He’d wrapped him in his warmth and had helped him learn how to do the right thing even when his instincts told him the opposite. He would have been a hero for him. Andreas had begged him to never let it go, to hold onto the humanity he had given him and Heru hadn’t even realized that he had let so much of it go.

_ I have to tell him. _

_ {You can’t.} _

_ [You won’t.] _

  
**Souls Collected:** **  
** **Karen Jane Swan  
** Age 39   
Died July 12, 1998 1:24 AM   
Suicide, exsanguination


	18. Chapter Eighteen

###  Chapter Eighteen

**July 12, 1998**

**148 West 133rd St**

**Harlem, New York City** **  
** **8:37 AM** **  
** **Wade**

He woke up with a start, his body jerking beneath the dead weight of Heru, the dream fading with the dark as he blinked, sunlight burning his eyes. Wade wrapped his arms back around him, his body cool and completely still, his eyes closed. He watched him for a moment as his mind attempted to wake up, content to just lay there. He brushed Heru’s hair from his eyes. He’d felt him crawl on him at some point shortly after he’d fallen asleep the night before and he wondered if he had been there all night.

_ {Yep} _

_ [Just how fast can we fall?] _

_ Think we can stay like this forever? _

_ [Eventually we’ll need to pee] _

_ I don’t want him to leave after Bradley. _

_ {I don’t think that’s how Death works} _

_ [Maybe if we ask nicely?] _

_ {Don’t hold your breath} _

Heru lifted his head and rested his chin on Wade’s chest, his eyes opening and the blackness rushing to hide behind his pupils once more, the flecks of amber returning to glisten in the morning light. Wade’s breath caught in his chest.

“Morning,” Heru mumbled weakly and this close, he could see the tension surrounding his eyes, pulling at the corners of his mouth.

_ {Something’s wrong} _

“You are…” Wade trailed his fingers down Heru’s face before cupping his head, “so freakin’ hot,” he said grinning when Heru’s weary face broke into a smile. He crawled further up him and pulled him into a kiss. 

_ [Oh yea, every morning should start like this] _

“You are so very sexy,” Heru said when he pulled away, sliding his cool hands under his shirt and across his chest, Wade refrained from snorting, barely managing not to roll his eyes. Heru planted his chin back on his chest and looked up at him, an expression across his face that he couldn’t read, “I wish you would believe me,” he sighed.

“Sorry snookums but I have seen a mirror,” he pointed out.

_ {It’s true. He knows how fugly he is} _

“I never understood human beauty aesthetics, even  _ when _ I was human,” he complained, burying his face in his chest.

“Guess I’m lucky that you don’t,” he observed, his hand sliding slowly up and down Heru’s back.

“Other way around jellybean, I’m the lucky one” he murmured, looking back at him, “I wish you could see what I see.”

“I know,” he rolled his eyes, “you don’t see me for my skin, you see my ‘inner’ beauty,” he scoffed.

_ [Hahaha inner beauty! Good one!] _

Heru pulled away and shook his head, “while I do think you have one of the most incredibly beautiful souls I have ever seen, no it’s not just your ‘inner beauty’ I see. I see your flesh and I see the beauty in it,” he traced his jawline, “smooth skin is hardly the only definition of beauty.”

“I appreciate it but it’s a little more than a case of bad acne,” he pointed out, wanting out of the conversation but Heru sat up, falling and settling between his legs.

“I could argue with you about the limited concept of beauty that is this race’s cultural failing until you’re blue in the face, but you will never, ever convince me that  _ ugly _ is something that can be applied to physical appearance alone. I may not be  _ sexually attracted _ to someone, but I could honestly never see them as ugly. Every form is too unique to categorize into such limited and restrictive classifications as beautiful, average and ugly,” he told him firmly and Wade couldn’t help but smile at the determined expression, “but you Wade Wilson, are beautiful inside and out, even your cancer is beautiful,” he whispered, looking down. He felt a flash of anger,  _ {how dare he think this god awful fucking curse is beautiful!}  _ but he tried to swallow it, knowing he wasn’t meaning to say his suffering was beautiful.

_ [Or maybe he is?] _

“How about I make some pancakes?” he asked, sitting up and extracting himself from the couch, Heru watched him, his eyes darkening.

“Ok,” he folded his arms across the back of the couch and rested his head on them, watching as Wade went to the kitchen and began digging out the pancake essentials. He ignored Heru’s whispered mutterings, whatever voices he heard were more active that morning as he mixed the batter and preheated the frying pan. He hummed to himself, picking out a few words like  _ no, I can’t, don’t be stupid _ and  _ please _ but he did his best to give him his privacy.

_ [Strange concept, giving a crazy person privacy to talk to themselves] _

_ I personally appreciate that he ignores you guys and doesn’t read you _ , he pointed out.

_ {Plus, it maintains the limited view point} _

“So what are your plans today? You workin?” he asked, flipping the last pancake and setting the table.

“I have to go see Bradely in a little bit, but other than that no… I won’t be working today,” he replied, trailing off and looking beside him, a haunted expression crossing his face like a ghost, clearly not liking whatever one of the voices said, before he smiled back at him, “what about you?”

“I gotta go see Mr. Einstein and give him the encrypted disc that chick gave me last night,” he told him.

“Oh yea, how did that go?” he asked, an almost forced curiosity in his tone.

“It was his secretary I guess,” he put the last pancake on top of the stack of others and set it on the table, “she wants me to look into that project Infano, I guess it's some military contract thing and all,” Heru walked over and sat down at the table, accepting a plate of pancakes, “I feel a little bad though, I should have made her go into hiding. I’m sure Bradley’s going to find out she leaked me the information.”

“He will,” he confirmed, nodding solemnly and Wade looked at him, his heart sinking.

“She’s already dead isn’t she?” he asked, his frustration rising.

“Last night,” he looked down, “I’m sorry, it wasn’t your fault though,” he said quickly.

“How did she die?” he asked, wondering if she had been followed and kicking himself for not taking the time to get her home.

_ [When did you become such a bleeding heart?] _

_ {He’s always been a softy. Like like a walnut: hard and fugly on the outside, soft and fleshy on the inside} _

“She committed suicide,” he said flatly, spreading butter over his pancakes, the coldness in his voice sending a chill down his spine, “it was something she decided to do a while ago,” he could tell Heru wanted to say more but couldn’t, his jaw working and rippling beneath his skin. 

“Oh,” was all he could say, “well… anyway, I should probably find out what’s on that disc considering she thought it important enough to risk everything for,” he filled his mouth with delicious pancake goodness, maple syrup dripping down his chin.

“Yea,” Heru looked over his shoulder, listening, anger skittering across his eyes, “do you think you’ll be able to get into it right away or will you have some time while Einstein is decrypting it?” he asked.

“Probably will have some time,” he said around his mouthful, “why, you got somethin’ in mind?”

“I figured we could maybe go on that third date?” he suggested, smiling his floppy smile and the tension melted from his body under that gaze.

“Yea boo, we could do that.”

Wade knocked on the safe house door, sliding his key in the lock and walked inside.

“Woo who! Maximilian!” he called out, whistling happily.

“Oh, it’s you,” Max said as he came around the corner and saw Wade in the kitchen,  _ {was he expecting someone else???}, _ “what are you doing here?” he asked, sitting on a stool at the counter.

“I’ve got a present for you,” he pulled out the disc and tossed it to him, “a little bird gave that to me, it’s encrypted but it’s got stuff about that Infano project,” he told him.

“Really?” Max picked it up interestedly, “you find out more about it?”

“Nope, just that it’s a military contract,” he rummaged through the fridge, disappointed at the serious lack of food, “I need your help with something else too.”

“You’re so needy,” he pointed out and he grinned at him.

“That’s what all my ex’s say,” he pouted, “I got a hot date but it’s been awhile and I don’t know where all the cool kids are hanging out anymore,” he explained and Max stared at him, one brow raised, “what’s a good place for a date?”

“You’re kidding me right?” he balked, “dude, I’m sixteen and locked in a safe house hiding from the government and psycho serial killers, you think I’m one of the cool kids?” he scoffed.

“Uh yea obviously, you’re hiding out from the government and serial killers, obviously you’re cool,” he retorted, grabbing a beer and cracking it open and rolling his mask over his nose.

“I’ve never even been on a date, I have no idea what normal people do. Don’t they like… go for dinner and a movie or something?” he suggested and Wade nodded.

“Yea but that’s sooo lame, I want this to be  _ special _ ,” he said, he couldn’t keep the smile from his face as he thought of Heru.

“I didn’t realize you even had a girlfriend,” he remarked, surprised and got up and headed to the study, Wade skipping along behind him.

_ {Someone’s cheery} _

_ [Yea, we got a date!] _

“Boyfriend, well, maybe? I don’t know, we haven’t exactly established labels and I have a suspicion he isn’t all that into labels anyway,” he rambled and draped himself in the wingback chair.

“You’re gay?” Max asked, hesitating for a moment before sitting down and not looking at him.

“Halfway. The accepted term is bisexual. I don’t care what’s in your pants, I just want in them, I’m good with both surprises,” he beamed and Max looked thoughtfully at him, clearly mulling the information over, “anyway, what should I do? Take him to the top of the empire state building? Might need Spide-Man’s help to get up there though…” 

**July 12, 1998**

**267 5th Ave, New York City** **  
** **10:49 AM**

**Heru**

Bradley was busy with his preparations for Infano, his office a flurry of people going in and out, of him yelling at various people and stroking the egos of the various scientists while simultaneously reassuring military officials that everything was ready to go ahead. Heru sat in the tub chair, his knees pulled up to his chest and his chin resting on them as he watched, his insides a twisted mess.

_ “I’d rather be at home,” _ he told the cacophony of voices.

_ [Do your damn job] _

_ “I don’t have to do this,”  _ he pointed out and closed his eyes, trying to still the writhing inside.

_ {But it’s your favorite part} _

_ ‘Yea, we’re so close to breaking him,’ _ Heru looked over at Bradley. He was momentarily alone and his hard exterior was beginning to crack as he broke out in a panicked sweat, another panic attack on its way. 

_ “What’s the point?” _

_ <To make him suffer> _

_ {He deserves it} _

_ “So do I,” _ he buried his head in his hands, guilt and fear warring inside, _ “I would rather be at home spending what little time I have left with Wade.” _

_ {I don’t know why you’re bothering with him. He’s going to hate you. Do you really want to see that look in his eyes?} _

_ “Shut up,” _ he moaned, trying to block the future from his thoughts,  _ “fuck this,” _ he got up and walked into his apartment, leaving Bradley behind to deal with his shit. If he were being honest with himself, he had grown tired of ‘playing’ with his presents. 

_ {You just think you might be falling in love} _

_ [Don’t be ridiculous. Love is an illusion, a biochemical reaction simply to delude you into forming social attachments, leftover programming from your original species. Humans are social creatures and need to coexist in groups in order to survive and they constructed the concept of love. You are not human nor are you a member of a social species and if you would release your humanity, you would realize this and you could give up this fallacy.] _

Wade wasn’t at the apartment and he paced around for a bit, trying to ignore them.

_ <Andreas gave us this humanity, you can’t make us let it go, it’s all that’s left of him… of us> _

He pulled his cell phone out and chewing his lip, sent Deadpool a text.

_ To: D _

_ I’m free whenever you are, am at home _

He hit send and continued his pacing.

_ {It’s a moot point anyway, it’ll all be over tomorrow} _

_ From: D _

_ On my way sweetcheeks _

He smiled and tossed his phone on the couch and started to rifle through his laundry. If it was going to be his last day to spend with Wade, he was going to make the best of it. He put on his favorite pants, a pair of black morte pants with buckles going down the sides and a deep purple Maleficent t-shirt. From under the couch, he grabbed his shoebox of the various jewelry he had kept and put on his leather wrist cuffs that had clasps that could attach together, making them both fashionable and great for kinky times. He checked himself out in the mirror, playing with his hair a bit until he gave up.

_ <I honestly cannot remember the last time we even went on a date> _

He hunted around until he found his makeup kit and applied a small amount of black eyeliner and a bit of dark purple eyeshadow. Stepping back, he inspected himself, marvelling at the fact that he felt nervous.

_ {Because you know this is the end} _

Half an hour later, Wade came crawling through the window, falling onto the floor before jumping up and acting like he hadn’t just fallen flat on his face.

“Hey,” Heru beamed, running a hand through his hair, tugging at it. 

“Hey gorgeous!” he greeted and pulled him into a hug, smooshing his face into his leather clad chest, “I have the  _ best _ day planned! You’re gonna love it!” he told him and Heru clung to him before hastily pulling away.

“I’m ready for whatever you've got planned,” he grinned up at him, rolling his mask up so that he could kiss him.

_ <Memorize this> _

_ I am. _

“Mm, first, we get shawarma,” he declared when they parted, “‘cus I’m hungrier than Tony Stark after battling aliens in New York.” He changed out of his suit and pulled on a pair of jeans, a blue t-shirt and a hoodie, leaving only his mask and gloves on. “Let’s go,” he said when he’d finished and climbed back out the window and Heru laughed.

“Are you ever going to use the front door?” he asked, climbing out onto the fire escape.

“Front doors are for three things: delivery, the F.B.I and boy scouts like Captain America,” he said, turning around, “hop up,” he patted his back, and raising an eyebrow, Heru climbed onto his back. He carried him down the fire escape, setting him down once they reached the alley and he led him out onto the street. Talking non-stop, Wade hailed them a cab and they headed to midtown. He took him to one of his favorite shawarma street carts and they strolled through Bryant Park as they ate. Heru mostly listened as he told him about different jobs he’d worked, how Charmane and Tyson were doing and how they’d set them up with a good family in Finland, safe from Bradley. Heru had them stop by a garden that had recently been trampled, likely by the group of teens playing Ultimate Frisbee not too far away, and showed Wade how he could manipulate life energies by restoring the plants to their full luster. He opened up a fraction about what it had been like to discover that he would one day become a reaper but he tried to keep it light and stuck with the more amusing tales.

_ ‘There are funny parts to that story?’ _

_ <No one wants to hear  _ that _ sob story> _

The best part was when Wade brought him down into a set of abandoned subway tunnels that was home to some of the most beautiful street art he had ever seen. The murals and mosaics were breathtaking and they spent several hours walking along the dark tunnels, Heru appreciating the political and cultural criticism in a lot of the work while Wade made numerous inappropriate jokes, going so far as to add his own artistic expression and drew a penis on one of the murels. He was grateful for his light attitude and soaked up his humour, memorizing the timber of his laugh and basking in his boundless joy like a man savoring his last meal. 

_ {Because it is} _

They ended up surfacing near Rockefeller Park and wandered over to a playground. There were several kids playing and Wade jumped in on a game of tag, Heru standing on the border with the parents, laughing and trying to reassure them that Deadpool wasn’t some creep. After a few grumbles of complaints, most of the parents dragged their loudly complaining and disgruntled children away, leaving the playground to them. They had a great make out session in the tunnel slide, only to realize that they’d manage to wedge themselves in and Heru had to teleport out to free Wade before his claustrophobia caused a panic attack. They sat on the swings, sharing a joint and had a heated debate about Batman vs Superman until they noticed a couple police officers headed their way. Snickering, they left the park and Wade brought him to Dave and Busters.

“Holy hell, I haven’t been to one of these in… I don’t even know how many centuries,” he remarked, his eyes widening as he walked into the chaotic and loud arcade.   
“I think you’ve forgotten how to live, cookie,” he remarked, planting a masked kiss on him.

_ He has no fucking clue just how true that is, _ Heru thought and watched him go purchase two giant cup fulls of quarters.

“I hope you know I’m going to fucking annialiate you at Dance Dance Revolution, right?” Heru challenged and Wade gasped.

“Oh you’re so on,” he raced him to the game and after letting the current players finish, they put in their quarters and stepped onto their platforms. 

“Ready?” Heru looked at him as it counted down and grinned, turning back to watch the arrows. His many years of dance combined with the fact that he had an inhuman response time was the perfect competition for Deadpool, whose enhanced reflexes would have given him an unfair advantage over anyone else. They drew a crowd, going for well over an hour, neither of them backing down as they crushed every record on the machines. After an hour and a half, Wade slipped on some soda that one of their onlookers had spilled, effectively making Heru the Dance Champion though they both agreed it was a draw. They held onto the obscene amount of tickets they’d earned as they made their way through the arcade, playing every machine, regardless of what age they were designed for. The ‘go-fishing’ game had been stupidly easy, but Heru’s face hurt afterwards from laughing so hard, too caught up in Wade’s ridiculous antics to notice the blanket of humanity wrapping around him. 

By the end of it, they had far too many tickets to actually do anything with without buying up the entire gift shop and after using them to purchase several Nerf guns, Hero convinced Wade to give away the rest of their tickets. They had a Nerf fight until the manager came over and threatened to kick them out and instead they played a few rounds of laser tag. While he’d shot a gun a few times, he honestly hated guns and Wade beat him and his team every time. 

“You have an unfair advantage as a marksman,” he jokingly complained. 

It was well into the evening when they left, wandering out into the brightly lit New York streets. They made their way through Koreatown and stopped to pick up some take out dinner for Wade.

“Come on,” Wade said, gripping his hand and taking him into an empty alley.

“Ooh, are going to have dumpster sex?” he asked, only half kidding as he was dragged down the smelly alley.

“Webs did me a solid and let me borrow a set of web shooters,” he explained, reaching into his Hello Kitty bag and pulling out the famous shooters.

“Whoa, really?” he said in surprise and Wade snorted.

“By borrow, I mean he reluctantly agreed to not kill me after I had already snagged them from his backpack. Seriously, the kid needs to stop webbing his bag in the same spots. Someday someone else is gonna find it and out him,” he told him, sounding both amused by Parker’s bad habit and proud. He put them on and Heru climbed onto his back after putting the backpack on. 

It was the most incredible feeling. Heru screamed in delight as they swung from building to building, going higher each time. They circled back around and he brought him to the Empire State building, swinging to the top and carefully situating them so that they were sitting above the observation deck, their legs dangling over the edge. The view of the city was remarkable from the height, the innumerable lights dazzling and sparkling against the darkness. 

_ I don’t want this to end. _

_ <Then tell him. Don’t let it happen.> _

_ {We can’t do that.} _

**July 13, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **12:49 AM**

**Wade**

It had been the perfect day he had hoped it would be. Heru was his usual quiet self but that was fine with him. He had talked enough for the both of them and had definitely overshared, but again, he didn’t mind. Heru was easy to talk to and more open minded than the majority of people he knew and so he found himself telling him things he hadn’t intended to ever tell someone. The words just fell out of his mouth. Watching him restore the plants had been his favorite part of the night, well, he smiled as he looked down at the man in his arms, second favorite. He’d never seen that look on his face before, almost like a kid who had nursed a bird back to health and was proudly releasing it back into the wild. It had been so shockingly sweet and pure, a startling contrast to his usual demeanor. He’d managed to refrain from distractions while Heru had briefly talked about becoming a reaper and while his experience had been different, he knew what it was like to be slowly stripped of his humanity and his appreciation for the difficulties he’d been through deepened. He’d taken him to the abandoned subway tunnels he’d come across a couple decades before, it didn’t have that much artwork back then but it’d expanded over the years and while he’d goofed off as usual, he still appreciated the works from the various artists. He had gotten the sense that Heru would like it and was pleased when he’d been right. Topping off the night with a visit to the Empire State building had been a good idea and even though Spidey was bound to be royally pissed at him for a while, it had been worth it. 

Heru shifted, sighing and Wade lazily stroked his cheek, his eyes drooping as he laid there in perfect contentment. They’d gone home to play some Mario Kart but had never actually gotten around to it, too busy seeing how fast they could remove each other’s clothing. Wade had been delighted when Heru had shown him how his cuffs linked together and he’d eagerly put them on, more than a little happy to submit to the reaper. He wasn’t tired, but the warmth from being under the fuzzy blanket and the peaceful state of his usually chaotic mind was making him sleepy. The boxes were quiet, likely also enjoying having Heru in his arms, and for the first time in a very long time, Wade actually felt happy and content. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Heru’s neck and thought that maybe this could last after all. 

It was still dark when he woke up, the rising sun still too low and in the opposite direction to penetrate the darkened apartment. Wade blinked, his arms empty and he was cold, the blanket had fallen onto the floor and Heru was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, he thought he’d left, gone off to do some work or pay Bradley a late night visit but as he pulled the blanket over him, he heard whispering coming from the coat closet. Frowning, he got up, pulling on his jeans he quietly crept over, the floor squeaking under his feet. 

“Shhh! You’ll wake him! Good, you can tell him. No, no, no, I can’t,” Heru’s wail was hastily muffled and there was a tortured whining sound that reminded him of a wounded animal. He quickly opened the closet door to see Heru cramped into the corner, curled in on himself, his hand stuffed in his mouth in a desperate attempt to quiet himself.

_ {Well fuck.} _


	19. Chapter Nineteen

###  Chapter Nineteen

**July 13, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **5:19 AM**

**Wade**

“Hey babe, you ok?” he asked, squatting down and trying to capture his gaze but Heru’s eyes were unfocused, darting back and forth.

“I can’t, it’s fixed, it has to happen, he won’t understand!” he said in a rush, “he won’t understand. Do you realize how much he’s going to hate you? I know, I can’t do that, I can’t survive it,” he laughed maniacally, “of course you will! Death is eternal. Everything dies, what does it matter if they do? Don’t get involved. He already did, you stupid fuck!” he yelled, burying his head in his hands and rocking back and forth.

_ [Well this is interesting] _

“Heru,” Wade sat down and tentatively reached out and touched his shoulder. He felt like something yanked him forward, his mind flooding with images and a horrific sensation of being trapped.

“No! No no no no no,” Heru wailed, “please don’t look,” he pleaded, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Wade stood in a dilapidated bedroom, a filthy mattress on the floor and a wooden trunk the only things in the room. Heru was standing next to him, his eyes closed so tightly it had to be painful.

“Um,” he said as he stared at the trunk, the unbearable shrieking cries of a child coming from it and the unmistakable sounds of someone trying to claw their way out, “Jesus fuck,” he tried to move forward but Heru’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked at him, his face ghostly pale and he shook his head.

“It’ll be over soon, just breathe, it’ll be over soon, just breathe,” he repeated, over and over as Wade felt something crawl over his skin. 

“What the fuck?” he swiped at his arm but there was nothing there but he felt it again, somewhere else and before he knew it, his skin was on fire from the sensation of bugs crawling across his skin and biting him, “Heru what the fuck is going on?” he asked, his voice rising in panic as he tried to get to the trunk again.

“Just wait, just wait, not supposed to have come here, wasn’t supposed to take you here, it’s going to be too late,” he panted, glued to the floor where he stood. They were there for what felt like hours, listening to the wretched cries until they quieted to a muffled sob and eventually stopped all together.

“Had enough, you piece of shit?” a woman said as she came into the room, her dark hair matted and she was nothing but a bag of bones but the resemblance to Heru was so strong Wade knew immediately she must be his mother. He watched as she walked over to the trunk and unlocked it, lifting the hatch, “leave this room again and I’ll let you fucking die in that box,” she spat before she left the room, slamming the door behind her. The lid of the trunk slowly lifted and terrified chocolate eyes appeared in the crack before he lifted the lid. Wade caught a glimpse of a filthy Heru who must have been no older than four or five, his face and arms covered in bite marks, red ants falling to the floor before he was pulled back and he was sitting in front of the closet and Heru was banging his head against the wall. 

“Holy shit babe,” his voice broke, realizing he’d somehow been pulled into his flashback and he wanted to pull him into his arms but Heru burst out of the closet to get away from him.

“It’s going to happen and there’s nothing I can do. They’re going to die and die and die and die, it’ll be a beautiful symphony of death! Lick the heart, pick the bones, rip the spleen. Can’t do that, can’t do that. Stop talking. Grab the nuts, twist and pull, how low can you go?” he raved, spinning with his arms out and Wade got to his feet, standing helplessly as he watched him rapidly start pacing the length of the apartment. When the couch got in the way, he shoved it to the side, still raving in incoherent sentences. 

_ {What the fuck are we supposed to do?} _

“I have no fucking idea,” he told Yellow, not bothering to be quiet, he knew Heru wouldn't hear him. He watched as Heru came to an abrupt halt, staring at where the couch had been, completely frozen. He winced as if he heard something loud.

“He’ll do it again when he sees what you’ve done. He’ll have to to get the images out of his mind. He’s never going to forgive you,” he said, his voice deeper and almost inhuman, “let go. Let go, let go, LET GO!” his hands flew to his head and he shook it, starting to pace again.

“Who’s going to hate you?” Wade asked, walking over to stand by the table and hopefully catch his attention. 

“I could stop it. I could prevent it from happening. No, you can’t, you know the rules. FUCK THE RULES!” he screamed, “this isn’t fair! Fuck you for doing this to me,” he laughed wildly, “oh this is low even for you. You’re always so quick to give when you know how easily you can rip it away!” Wade chewed his lip, watching him as he continued to talk, his voice changing as rapidly as his words. Whatever was happening was obviously some kind of dissociative episode that he could do nothing to stop, so he stayed quiet, anxiously waiting for a sign that he was going to be ok.

**July 13, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **7:30 AM**

**Heru**

“You did this to yourself,” Future said as he paced, his mouth moving as the voices fought for control, his ability to maintain his consciousness slipping. They were all talking at once, and he knew it was out loud, he had seen the look on Wade’s face, the utterly baffled confusion as he tried to make sense of the disjointed sentences.

“[Honestly you have no one to blame but you]. 

‘We have to stop it’.

<Andreas would never have allowed us to do this. Ammon would want us to try and stop it, to find another way.>

‘Ammon can suck my fucking dick, the self righteous prick.’

[Why are you so distraught over this?]

Because! How could he ever look at me the same? Knowing I knew?” he retorted angrily, the timelines collapsing in around him as they drew nearer to the fixed point.

“[How pathetically mortal to think yourself a god]

I am  _ better _ than a _god_! I COULD stop it! I could change it all,” he spat and it was true. He could, he had the power but it was all the universe’s sick idea of a joke. Give him the power to control the fate of the universe but the wisdom to understand he could never impose such control. He could never take away free will like that.

“{Don’t be stupid, you know what would happen if you did}

[Chaos. Destruction. The end of worlds.]

I don’t CARE! 

<Please! We’ve lost so much already>

[Don’t be petulant]

I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to go home.” His mind flashed to the last time he’d felt at home, the last time he’d felt human and he screamed and screamed until he couldn’t scream anymore. It was so unfair. Heru crumbled to the floor, unable to will the tears into existence, his shoulder heaving with the trapped sobs. He was so cold, the unending darkness engulfing him, ripping at him and demanding he return. He could feel it tearing at his soul, determined to make him a part of It.

“[This would be much less painful if you would just accept it]

Nothing has to be set in stone.

{True, nothing is set in stone, you could change it all, rewrite the future}

[But are you willing to pay the price?]

{You think those lives are too painful to reap now? What of the countless others you would be responsible for? That  _ he _ would be responsible for?}

I should never have come here.

[Now you’re catching on]

This is all his fault. I should have never allowed myself to get involved.

<It’s actually  _ your _ fault. You’re the one who fucked with Bradley and made him all paranoid. You’re the reason he hired him. You’re the reason this is happening.>

{It was always going to happen}

[You reek of humanity]

‘We have to change it’

{You can’t change it. It’s fixed.}

<It’s Deadpool! If anyone can change a fixed point, it’s Wade Wilson!>

He’s right. He could. He could stop it. 

<All we have to do is tell him>,” Heru looked up from his place on the floor, looking wildly around the apartment for the merc. He was sitting at the table, a terrified expression marring his beautiful face. 

“Hey there John Nash,” he said gently and Heru whimpered.

“<Tell him!>,” they would not allow him to speak, occupying his mouth with their voices.

“{We do this for you. You know that it will be worse if you do}

But I love him. Fuck.

‘He does, he loves him’

[Irrelevant.]” It spat.

“Baby I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Wade said, his voice breaking through all the others.

“<God, he is so warm>,” Past whimpered, it almost hurt, the gentleness of his voice, the concern in his tone.

“‘He’ll never forgive you.’

{It’s almost time},” Heru looked at the window, the sky was getting brighter. He scurried over to Wade, desperately grabbing at his body.

“You have to believe me! You have to believe that I couldn’t,” he begged, searching his face for a sign that he would.

“Tell me what’s happening sweetums, you’re starting to scare me,” Wade whispered and Heru buried his head in his lap, screaming into his leg.

“Infano…” he whispered, “please, oh gods, oh gods,” he wailed, looking at Wade’s phone on the table before it started to ring. Wade looked at him and then slowly picked up the phone.

“Hello?” he answered and Heru slowly backed away.

“It’s happening. It’s happening.” He watched in horror as Deadpool listened to Einstein talking. He knew what he was saying. He had always known that this call would come and he had been an idiot for thinking that it would be ok. He knew what he was telling him and he watched as what little color was left drained from his face. His eyes widened and he looked at Heru, comprehension dawning. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he whimpered.

“You can’t be serious,” he said in response to something Einstein said.

“You don’t understand, you don’t know what will happen if this doesn’t!” he desperately cried in a rush to explain, crawling back to him to clutch at his leg, “you don’t know,” everything in him broke as Wade pushed him away, anger hardening his eyes as he looked down at him.

_ {I told you} _

_ ‘See, there it is, that disgust’ _

“Where is it?” he asked and Heru looked back out the window. It was almost time to go. Wade got to his feet, the phone held between his ear and shoulder as he hurriedly put his suit on.

“I’m sorry,” Heru whispered. He hung up the phone and finished getting dressed. He stood still, his back to him as he drew in several deep, shaking breaths.

“You knew this whole time,” he said and his words were so cold, the ice practically swallowed him.

“Yes,” he whispered, the helplessness robbing him of the fight, it was too late now, there was no stopping it and what would happen would happen. He turned around, his face stone and he couldn’t bear it any longer, “I’m so sorry,” he whispered and vanished into the Between.

**July 13, 1998**

**New York City** **  
** **8:00 AM**

**Wade**

He was so angry that Yellow and White had shut up, he was shaking as he swung through the city. He was using the web shooters despite having promised not to use them for more than the five minute trip he’d done on their date. 

_ Their fucking date. _

He wanted to puke. He needed to get to the school as fast as possible and that meant taking the Spider-Man route. Wade knew he would understand and wouldn’t be mad at him for it. 

_ {Some people are actually capable of compassion} _

Web fluid was expensive and apparently Spidey wasn’t rolling in the dough. He would give him the money for it though. Heru had been raving like a lunatic for the last two hours and he had been wracked with anxiety and worry for him. He didn’t know what was happening but he had assumed it was like one of his PTSD flashbacks.

_ [You know what ma always said about assuming] _

He had  _ though _ _t_ that he was just reliving traumatic memories. He had absolutely no idea that he was seeing the  _ fucking future _ and debating whether or not he should  _ do anything about it. _

_ How could he not? _ He wondered, feeling sick at the thought again. He knew that Heru had a ‘dark’ side to him or whatever you wanted to call it. He’d recognized that murderous look in his eyes whenever he saw him with Bradley or whenever he talked about him. He’d seen the same feral look that night in the hotel room but he had ignored it because who was he to judge?  _ He had assumed they were the same. _ He had been very, very wrong. Max had called the moment his algorithm had decrypted the disc and he understood what he was seeing. He’d been hysterical, almost as insane as Heru as he’d told him about Project Infano. 

_ {Do you know what Infano means? It means children} _

He knew Weapon X had developed some really fucked up shit in the past. He knew that there was a sect of the government determined to eradicate all mutants. Hell, Magneto was constantly going on about there being a war brewing, that eventually the humans would turn on them and they would have to fight back. He had never agreed more than in that moment. Magneto had predicted this but he had never thought it would be like  _ this _ .

_ [Heru knew it would be.] _

Project Infano was a bio-weapon that Ygeia Pharmaceuticals was developing for the military. It was designed to target the mutant gene but only worked in pubescent mutants. He shook with rage as he swung across the Brooklyn bridge, urging his body to move faster.  _ Too slow! _ If that wasn’t bad enough, Bradley had pushed the date. Heru’s words echoed in his mind, “You’re the the one who fucked with Bradley and made him all paranoid,” and he just knew,  _ he knew _ , that it was because of this paranoia that he’d changed the date that they had originally intended to test the weapon and according to everything Max had found, it wasn’t ready. There was still this “minor” problem of the weapon causing cardiac arrest in the human children. It was completely safe for anyone who’d gone through the biological changes of puberty, but anyone exposed to the gas who hadn’t would definitely die. Max hadn’t been able to describe the videos of the test subjects to him but for a kid who was known for his emotional detachment, the fact that he had been crying and completely hysterical had told Wade everything he needed to know. When he’d crossed the river, he looked at his watch,  _ 8:15. _

“Fuck!” he swore, running as fast as he could and shooting a web out, throwing himself forward. School had started and it would be too late. It was set to be deployed as the second bell had gone off.  _ They were testing it in a god damn elementary school. _ He knew he wouldn’t get there in time, had known the moment Max had slowed down enough to explain. Heru’s face had told him the truth. 

_ {You are soooooo angry right now} _

_ [I mean, he’s got a good reason to be.] _

He was getting close enough he could hear the chaos erupting from the school. Someone had pulled the fire alarm and it was blaring for blocks. He landed on a roof a few blocks away, the surrounding buildings too low to swing so he ran. He threw himself across the giant gap and landed in a roll on the opposite roof. He needed to get there but his body just wouldn't move faster but if he could there was a possibility that he could, just maybe, save  _ someone _ . He climbed down from the nearest building and ran across the parking lot as the waves of people were beginning to come out of the building and the site made him skid to halt.

Heru was standing at the doors, a lazy hand reaching out to touch each person as they fled, thinking they would be safe as long as they got out. Instead, they began to collapse on the surrounding ground. Some of them began violently thrashing, blood pouring from every orifice as their flesh burned as if someone had poured acid on them. Wade wanted to scream as he saw a kid no older than seven scream and collapse. He had dropped his Captain America action figure. He knew that they were mutants, their powers probably not even activated, they may never have been, the mutant gene didn’t always mean active powers. The other children were dropping like flies, screaming and running only to drop dead. The teachers were screaming in horror. Crowds were beginning to gather. The sound of sirens was growing closer and the fire alarm was still blaring. And Heru, Heru was walking inside the school.

For a moment, he wanted to kill him. He had  _ known _ ! Finally getting past the devastation, he moved forward.

“Everyone get out!” he shouted as he ran into the building. He couldn’t smell the gas, it made sense that it would be completely undetectable but Max had told him it was rigged to go through the HVAC system and be pumped through the vents so that was where he was going. He passed classrooms filled with dead children. He grabbed a woman by the shoulders as she staggered out into the hall, her hands covered in blood and her face white. She was clearly in shock but she was the first adult he’d seen since entering the building.

“Hey!” he snapped, giving her a shake and her eyes focused on him, “find survivors. Get them out  _ now _ !” he told her and she stared blankly up at him.

“They’re… they’re all dead…” she whimpered and he shook her again.

“Not everyone, the gas won’t harm you so you need to step up, today’s the day you get to be a hero. What’s your name?” he calmly asked her, trying to wipe the hair from her face, it was stuck with blood and tears.

“Sam…. Samantha,” she stammered, her eyes settling on him again, “Samantha Johnson.”

“Ok Sam, ok if I call you Sam? Sam I need you to stay calm. You need to get the kids out of here. It might not be too late for some of them and you need to try ok? Think you can do that for me?” he asked her, trying to sound calmer than he felt. He couldn’t tell which of them was shaking more.

“Ye-yes,” she nodded and pulled away. He watched as she began to go through the bodies on the floor, calling out, the desperation to hear someone answer painfully apparent. He needed to move on. He turned down a hall and stopped as he saw Heru coming out of a classroom.

_ {Jesus} _

He’d seen him like that before but he'd never seen him looking like _Death_. His skin was almost white, the veins black as tar. The look on his face made Deadpool’s blood go cold. It was so detached, so void of any emotion or anything resembling human. He looked like a monster. A monster on a battlefield.

_ [He is a monster] _

Heru stared at him for a moment before turning and walking down the hall, his hand trailing along the wall, black tendrils spreading out from his touch like snakes. Wade wondered if anyone would come out of this alive. He had to try. He headed for the door that would lead to the basement. He slipped in something wet, landing on his back. He threw up, barely managing to get his mask up in time. He’d slipped in what was left of a mutant. The body had completely broken down except for the bone. 

He made it to the basement and located the aerosol canisters and immediately removed them. He would hold onto them for evidence but that was likely pointless. All of this had been done as a test to show the military what it was capable of but there was no way they were going to take responsibility. As far as they would be concerned, they had nothing to do with it. 

By the time he made it back upstairs, it was already too late and over. There were a few teachers staggering through the halls like zombies, completely in shock. He wondered how many would end up dead, unable to live with what they’d seen. They would all need therapy and none of them would ever be the same.  _ How could he have let this happen? _ Wade checked for pulses but found none. Emergency services had shown up and were working on crowd control while people in hazmat suits ran into the building. He walked outside, tripping over a Hello Kitty backpack. He picked it up, his ears ringing. Everything was going dark.

_ How could he have let this happen? _


	20. Chapter Twenty

###  Chapter Twenty

**July 13, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **3:00 PM**

**Heru**

He stood in his apartment staring at the wall, unable to move. The voices were quiet, numbed out as he stared. He had done it. Seven hundred and eighty eight lives. Cold. It was so cold. He watched as their futures played before him. Watched as the lives they could have had never came to be. He watched them grow and struggle. He watched them find love.  _ Love _ . He closed his eyes, wishing he could close them to everything. He didn’t want to see it anymore. He was too tired to feel the anger; too tired to feel the hatred. He was just exhausted, a weariness that went beyond physical and to the core of his being.

_ [Just let go] _

He almost did. The look in Wade’s eyes as he had watched him at the school was reason enough. He could let go. He could let go of everything that made him who he was. He didn’t want to be him anymore. He could let go of the memories of his life, the love he had felt, the joy he had experienced and it could fade, turn cold. He would forget what it meant to be human but hadn’t he already? Had he ever known? He could let go and integrate into the collective force that was Death. He was supposed to let go. To not let go meant madness, it meant maintaining a linear existence in a non-linear existence, it was a contradiction impossible to sustain for eternity. He was not a part of life and those that were alive. Except, to not let go meant to continue feeling human emotions, it meant he could still be capable of love. It meant feeling the guilt of doing nothing to save the lives of seven hundred and eighty eight children.

_ [Let go] _

He opened his eyes, the apartment slowly coming into focus as his consciousness settled into the present. He had forgotten what it felt like. He had forgotten just how bitter Death could be. It was strange that he could ever have forgotten such a thing now that he was feeling it again. Mechanically, he sat down on the couch and pulled the Pokemon blanket around him, a useless attempt to warm himself. Wade’s soul had left imprints on it and he clung to the fading warmth, it could not penetrate the ice. Tears would not come, could not come. He sat back and looked back at the past six hundred years of his existence. 

Heru had crossed the moral line more times than he could count. His Deathday presents may have been on his list to reap but the things he had done… Was he really any better than Bradley? Did the fact that those souls were beyond saving, that their soul would be broken down to be scattered among the stars, never to exist again, did that make it _ right _ ? Was he any better for doing to them what Bradley had done to others? He’d always argued he was simply speeding up the process, he was simply ripping apart what was already scheduled for shredding, what did it matter who did it? He had no idea where the line was anymore. Andreas had always shown him. He had never been good with right and wrong, even when he was human. Ammon had tried to teach him, had tried to impose his Glandian sense of morals but they had never belonged to him. He had never seen the world as black and white, good and evil, right and wrong. The universe was too chaotic to maintain such extreme views. All it wanted was balance. There would always be evil. There would always be good. Who was he to say which was which? Who was he to impose his morality on the universe? 

_ Seven hundred and eighty eight children. _ He had reaped a lot of souls. He could count them if he wanted to but he prayed that day would never come. He had reaped innocent souls, so many innocent souls that had died at the hands of the Damned. He had shut off the emotions a long time ago to cope. 

_ {This is why I warned you} _

_ <No one likes to hear I told you so> _

He understood. He had understood from the beginning, knew that this was going to happen, knew that this pain would eat away at his insanity like iron bacteria. But a caged man is a desperate man and he was caged, always had been. He would always be trapped in that box. From the moment he had discovered what he would become he had felt a hopelessness that only a few could understand. He had more power than a god. He had reaped planets. He had reaped galaxies. He had consumed stars and black holes but Death was only one side of the coin. Where there was Death, there was Life and that power was a part of him. He had taken all those souls and ferried them to their next lives. Yes, seven hundred and eighty eight lives had been taken but he had contributed to the birth of seven hundred and eighty eight lives, most of them not human but that hardly mattered. Did that not count for anything? It was the fate he was bound to. How cruel it was to be hated by the living, to be feared and warded against. The mortal loathed him, they did everything to extend their lives. They cursed him, they spat in doorways to keep him away. They destroyed the lives of other souls to extend the lives of their own. They made deals with devils and demons to buy more time. They feared him more than they feared the monsters in the dark that preyed on their very souls. They called him cruel, they called him evil, they called him unnatural, they called him a thief. It was lonely to be hated and dreaded by everything and everyone. It was cold and he had been alone for so very long. How could he have refused such warmth when Deadpool had offered it to him so willingly? How could he have turned away and not drank every last drop given? He was eternal. He would exist long after everything he had ever cared for had withered and died, long after  _ everything _ had withered and died. He had taken his pleasure where he could get it. Playing with his Deathday presents had kept the cold at bay even if it had meant shroading himself in hatred and resentment. It was better than the nothingness of Death. But love… love was a drug he craved with every fiber of his being. It burned him, it was more painful than clinging to the hatred but it was so, oh so very sweet. 

He laid down, curling under the blanket and burying his face in it. He could still smell him on its soft fibers. He smelled like the earth, like soil and everything rich and alive. When he was a child, he prayed to Death like children pray to Santa Claus or Jesus. He had begged him to come and take him away from the hell that was his life. He had promised he would be better. He had promised that he would be good. He had begged and pleaded, he had bargained and made vows. He had wanted out and this, this was what Death brought him. 

_ [You brought this on yourself] _

Wade did not return that day or the next. Heru refused to look into the future to find out if he would. He was certain that there were numerous versions of reality, some where he would come back, some where he would not. He didn’t want to know which one he was in, did it really matter? He remained frozen on the couch, clinging to the bits of Wade’s soul left behind in the apartment and replaying every moment he had spent with him. It was desperate. It was pathetic and weak. It was human.

**July 15th, 1998**

**Sister Margaret’s School for Wayward Girls** **  
** **Somewhere in a not so friendly neighbourhood, New York City** **  
** **3:34 PM**

**Wade**

The first thing Wade did after leaving the school was blow his fucking brains out. And again the second he’d woken up. He’d spent the past forty eight hours trying not to be conscious, not wanting to deal with the hurricane of emotions raging through him. Anger, betrayal, hurt, god the pain. He poured the remaining contents of the bottle down his throat, burping loudly as he swallowed. He’d broken into Margaret’s, and every liquor store between the alley he’d woken up in and the bar, and had proceeded to drink every bottle of alcohol he could locate. He was making his way through the storage room, his head blissfully spinning for a few minutes before his body could heal from the poison and he was sober again, moving onto the next bottle. 

_ {Doing exactly what you would expect from a sack of shit like you} _

He groaned and threw the bottle at the box,  _ what else was he supposed to do? _ and grabbed another from the case tucked under his arm. He drank the amber liquid, emptying the bottle and throwing it, the sound of the glass shattering oddly comforting. He unscrewed the cap off the next, downing it just as quickly before throwing that one too.

_ How the fuck did this happen? _ He’d been asking himself that question since the moment he’d woken up the second time and had made his way to the bar. He had nowhere else to go. Since his apartment had gone boom, he hadn’t exactly been motivated to find a new place. He’d been thrilled to stay with Her- _ he couldn’t even think his name _ , he’d been happy to stay with  _ him _ . He had even started to consider  _ not _ finding a place and sort of just… staying.

_ {Like the pathetic puppy you are. So desperate to be loved you’d take it from a monster} _

But  _ he _ wasn’t a monster, was he? He finished another bottle and threw it. Monsters didn’t love, did they? He had said he loved him, or at least, he thought he had. He’d been talking to himself when he’d said it but Wade had definitely heard him say “I love him” but monsters weren’t capable of love.

_ [You’re a monster and you love] _

But Wade wasn’t  _ really _ a monster. If he thought about it, objectively-

_ {You’re hilarious!  _ You _ have an objective thought? Hahahahaha!} _

_ [I think it’s hilarious he thinks he might not be a monster] _

_ “You’re a good man Wade Wilson… I only deal in monsters and you... are not a monster.” _

His words echoed through the chaos of his mind and he hated the tears that were running down his cheeks. They wouldn’t stop. The image of Heru standing in the hallway looking so completely and utterly  _ alien _ warred with the image of him in his arms, small and fragile, laughing, his smile so brilliant and contagious that even in that moment, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling weakly.  _ And those eyes. _ Those beautiful, hickory eyes that were so old and haunted but they could light up an entire room when they looked at him. Those eyes so black and lifeless, so profoundly cold. He wished his anger was enough to make him hate him, wished that he could use it to protect himself from the god awful pain in his chest. He couldn’t stop seeing those fucking kids, those poor fucking kids.  _ Why did it have to be kids? _ There had been a few survivors, a few kids who had matured early, far enough into puberty to not be affected. A whole whopping one hundred and twenty nine survivors out of a school of nine hundred and seventeen. 

He threw the empty bottle and grabbed another case, downing a bottle of vodka and adding it to the pile of broken glass with a satisfying crash. 

“What the fuck?!” Weasel’s enraged voice sounded from the front.

_ [Uh oh, someone’s in trouble] _

He groaned and drank another. Weasel came around the corner in a flurry of cuss words and righteously pissed off.

“Whoa,” he said as he saw Deadpool slumped against the wall, his suit still caked in the gore from blowing his head off twice, his mask destroyed the first time, “Jesus Wade…” he sighed and Wade finally looked up at him, not bothering to try and hide his tear stained fugly ass face, what did any of it matter? 

“Surprise!” he slurred, attempting to smile but failing miserably and only managing a creepy grimacy. Weasel sat down next to him with a small sigh and he was grateful that he wasn’t yelling and swearing at him for not only breaking the door down but nearly cleaning him out of booze entirely, definitely all the good stuff was gone hours ago. 

“I saw you on the news,” Weasel said, “you were at that school trying to get people out of there…” 

“I’m a regular old hero,” he said derisively, taking a swig. 

“They said it was a gas leak…”

“Did that look like a fucking gas leak to you?” he snarled, throwing the empty bottle.

“They didn’t really show much… just a shit ton of bodies covered up… a lot of tiny bodies…” he said quietly.

“They killed ‘em all Weas,” he slurred, finishing off another bottle before he could loose the blessed feeling of nothingness, “didn’t even care they weren’t all mu’ants, just…” he waved his hand, “poof… all of ‘em and he  _ knew _ , he fuckin’ knew and he coulda stopped it. I ‘eard him say it Weas, he said he coulda stopped it but nope, he didn’t,” he ranted, pointing Larry at him when he tried to take his box of alcohol, “touch it and I fuckin’ unalive you right here and now Weasel,” he growled, the effect slightly ruined as he simultaniously burped and hiccuped. 

“Alright, alright,” he backed off and Wade slumped back, “who could have stopped what?” 

“An’ you know what the worst part is?” he asked, trying to get Weasel’s face to stop dancing around, “I think I love the fucker,” he admitted, hiccuping and downing another bottle, “there, I said it. I love that fucking…” he trailed off, listening to Heru scream in delight as they swung from building to building, his laughter the best god damn sound he’d ever heard, “fuck and I think he loved me too,” he cried, ugly ass cried, snot everywhere as he bawled, falling into Weasel’s lap. The barman awkwardly patted his shoulder, too confused to grasp the depth of pain he was in. 

“Um, there, there,” he consoled, “you uh wanna tell me about this… love of yours?” he asked and Wade sat up with a jerk, grinning stupidly.

“His name is Heru and he’s Death,” the smile vanished as he said the word death.

“Uhm…” Weasel opened a bottle of bourbon and took a sip, “ok,” he said after, nodding for him to go on.

“You know that guy Bradley? The one who hired me to protect ‘im from a stalker?” he asked.

“Yea, I remember,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Well, he ‘ired me to, ya know,'' he drew a finger across his throat and made a squelching sound, “turns out, i’s Death stalkin ‘im!” he finished the bottle and pulled out another, ignoring Weasel’s looks of protest. “So he’s all like, you can’t stop me, I’m death and Imma get my man,” he said, the room was really swimming now, “and we had tacos and played Mario Kart and it was the best you know? It was really fuckin fun and I don’t get to have that kinda fun Weas,” he looked at him, trying to express just how serious he was, “I make it look like a lot of fun an’ alrigh’, i’s kind of fun… but i’s lonely ya know? What am I sayin, course ya know, you know what i’s like to be alone,” he smacked his shoulder, making him wince, “oh sorry ‘bout that, anyway, I was lonely, he was lonely, I kill people, he reaps their soul, seemed like a good match to me. An’ he’s messin’ wit’ Bradley cus he i’s his birthday or somethin’, I don’t really get wha’ tha’s all about,” he hiccuped and took a swig, “but I fin’ out all about Bradley and how he’s like… just the worst, I mean this guys is…'' he tried to whistle but it just came out as a sigh, “ya know wha’ he’s like, you called me ‘bout the kids he was sellin’. Well, did ya know he sells mu’ants to Weapon X?” he looked at him to see just how shocking this revelation would be. Apparently not very shocking.

“I didn’t know,” he said, his surprise not very...surprised.

“Well he does an’ he’s ‘bout to sell off a whoooole bunch more in a few weeks, yep, whole bunch of gover’ments are commin’ and they’re gonna buy a bunch of us and cut us up and experiment and fin’ out what makes us tick and then they’re gonna,” he drew his finger across his throat again, “an’ I thought that was bad enough you know? I mean this guy’s real shitty and I was ok with Heru fuckin with him, let ‘im have a taste of his own med’cine right? But this whole time he’s been sittin on this fuckin’ whomper of a secret,” he took another swig, not wanting that pleasant buzzing to go away, “an’ he said it was his fault, said he knew that it was gonna happen and that it was his fault and I didn’t know what he was talkin’ ‘bout but then Einstein called and told me all ‘bout project Infano and…” he sighed, his head rocking in his stupor.

“So… you met Death, started dating Death and then what? He went and killed all those kids?” he asked, trying to get some kind of clarification. 

“No, no, no,” he shook his head, “he didn’t kill ‘em, he just reaped them, tha’s his job. Reap ‘em and weep ‘em,” he snorted.

“So… how is it his fault?” he challenged.

“He coulda stopped it,” he said, rolling his eyes, it was obviously, wasn’t it?

“Could he though? I mean, if he’s Death then… isn’t he supposed to not get involved?” he questioned and Wade nodded.

“Yes! Yes exactly! He’s not s’posed to get involved! But he did! He messed with Bradley’s head, made him all paranoid and he rushed the test,” he explained.

“So he made him test this uh, weapon thing, before it was ready?”

“Yea, I mean, I dunno if he woulda tested it later, I mean,” he burped, “properly.”

“And it’s possible the same thing would have happened?”

“Probably, maybe not if he had time to fix the problems,” he nodded, the images of the kids flaring in his mind, the memory of slipping in some kids fucking… he finished the bottle and threw it.

“So really, this Bradley guy would have tested the weapon anyway, killing who knows how many, but still this Death guy is why they died?” he asked and somehow when he said it like that, Wade wasn’t sure if it was Heru’s fault after all. He looked at him, frowning and the room was starting to stop spinning so much. “It sounds like this Bradley character is really the one to blame, the guy’s the one who had it tested in the first place,” he proposed and Wade mulled it over.

_ {He might have a point} _

“Yellow thinks you might have a point,” he passed on the message.

_ {It wasn’t a message you drunken buffoon} _ He giggled, “buffoon, such a funny word.”

“Uh huh, did your death boy explain any of this to you?” he asked, ignoring Wade’s commentary.

“Haha, death boy, I called him that… but I think he prefers sweetums or snookums… he always smiled the biggest when I called him those names,” he sighed and tried to remember Weasel’s question, “what did you ask?” Weasel rolled his eyes and patiently repeated the question.

“Did your uh, sweetums try to explain this to you?”

“Splain what? I mean,” he sighed heavily, “he was ravving like a fuckin’ end of times homeless dude for a few hours before Einstein called..” he admitted, “does that count?”

“I’m… not sure,” he frowned, his expression confused.

“He kept sayin’ he couldn’t tell me ‘bout the future, said it wasn’t for,” he used air quotes, “linear people.”

“Makes sense, everyone knows that future knowledge is dangerous,” he pointed out.

“When did you get so smart?” he asked, his grizzled face becoming clearer and more focused.

“I’ve always been smart, you’re just too much of an ass to notice,” he stated, “so… this guy… he doesn’t kill the people, just reaps them. He not only tolerates your fucking shitty ass but actually  _ falls in love _ with you. He knows the future but he can’t tell you and he can’t change it because he’s Death and he’s not supposed to get involved, even though he sort of got involved, but was he was all torn up about not being able to tell you?”

“Oh yea,” he thought about Heru clinging to his leg, his jeans clutched so tightly his knuckles had gone white, the purest desperation he had ever seen in those eyes as he begged him not to hate him, “yea he um,” he gulped, the room suddenly becoming a lot clearer and he wasn’t feeling so good, “he was real torn up over it.”

“Uh huh,” Weasel sighed and got to his feet, “Wade, you’re fucking idiot you know that?”

“I mean, you’re not wrong,” he agreed, staring at the floor as a new horrible feeling was settling over him.

“Wade, don’t you think maybe, just maybe, there might actually be a good reason he didn’t tell you about this? That maybe he knew how much you would want to stop it and that maybe it couldn’t actually be stopped?” he asked and Wade looked up at him, “don’t you think that this guy that you  _ love _ might just have the shittiest job in existence and you’re sitting here drinking  _ all of my god damn booze _ instead of going home and cuddling the shit out of that miserable fucker?” 

_ [Ok, yea he might have point] _

_ {But he didn’t tell us} _

“Why didn’t he tell me about Infano?” he asked, his voice breaking.

“I don’t know man, but if I were you, I would ask him instead of putting your only friend out of business.”

“Fuck,” he hissed, soberity hitting hard, “fuck you’re right,” he scrambled to his feet clumsily, “I’m so sorry Weas, I’ll pay you for all this,” he started searching through his pouches, finding the one with his money and pulling out a wad of hundred dollar bills.

“Yea, yea,” he said, taking the wad out of his hands before he’d even count it, and led him out of the back and into the bar, “sit down, I’ll call you a cab.”

Weasel poured him into the cab, he was sober but exhausted and he’d started rambling so he’d pushed him in and slammed the door. He gave the cabbie Heru’s address and tried not to rock back and forth in his anxiety. 

_ {Shit, you’re fucking dumb. He’s probably freaking out} _

_ [What if he’s not there?] _

_ Oh god _ , he hadn’t even thought of that.

_ [You’re welcome] _

What if Heru had left? What day was it? He looked at his watch but that was useless, it was a fucking Lego watch, it didn’t have the date.

“Hey what’s the date?” he asked, poking his head through the plexiglass hole, making the driver jump.

“It’s the fifteenth,” he answered, giving him a weird look and Wade realized it probably had to do with all the blood on him.

_ {Or your ugly ass mug} _

“Ok thanks,”  _ phew _ , he had to still be in town at least, it wasn’t Bradley’s Due Date yet. But what if he wasn’t at home? What if he was but he didn’t want him to see him? 

_ [Then just talk to the room idiot] _

Right, that made sense. The cab stopped outside the apartment building and he ran down the alley, jumping to reach the ladder. He climbed up the fire escape and crawled through the window, his foot getting caught and he crashed into the room. 

Heru was there and there was a collective sigh from the boxes but Wade hesitated. Heru was staring at the wall but his eyes were completely black, unfocused. He’d burritoed himself in the blanket and Moe was clutched in his hand and tucked under his cheek.

“Lucy I’m home.”


	21. Chapter 21

###  Chapter Twenty One

**July 15, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **5:00 PM**

**Heru**

Heru lay there clutching Moe and the blanket. He’d found Moe under the couch when he’d been reaching out to try and hold onto what was left of Wade; of memories less painful. Wade’s affection for his weapons and the time and care he put into them had soaked the gun in his soul’s energy, binding it to him. 

_ ‘You’re so fucking pathetic’ _

_ {It’s actually despicable} _

_ [Human weakness] _

He hadn’t been focusing on the present so when Wade’s face suddenly appeared in front of him, he didn’t immediately recognize it was him.

“Hey sweetums… you in there?” he said and Heru blinked as the room came rushing back into focus and Wade was there. He was there kneeling in front of him, a hesitant hand floating above his face.

“You’re here,” he stated dumbly, not entirely convinced he hadn’t conjured a hallucination.

“Yea, well,” he shrugged, smiling lazily, “I left Moe here and Larry and Curly would  _ not _ shut up about it,” he explained and Heru felt his insides drop.

“Oh,” he pulled the gun out from under his cheek and held it out, “I’m sorry, here,” Wade accepted it and held it in his hands, looking down at the weapon.

“Annnnnd,” he set it on the coffee table, “I thought that maybe, I oughtta give you the opportunity to explain things, like why you believe that… that had to happen and why you couldn’t tell me, “ he said and Heru searched his face for the anger that had been so clear in it the last time he’d seen him but there was none of it just… grief. Frowning, he sat up, the blanket falling from his shoulders.

“Why?” he questioned, confused. The voices were quiet, considering.

“Because you didn’t put that gas in that school and if you didn’t stop it… well you’re one scary mother fucker, but I don’t think you’d be ok with killing a bunch of kids if you didn’t have a really,  _ really _ good reason,” he said, the smell of alcohol came off him in waves as he spoke.

“I’m not ok with killing a bunch of kids,” he mumbled, looking away. Of course he wasn’t ok with killing a bunch of kids, it had  _ sucked _ to be helpless to do anything about it. It always was. 

“I didn’t think so. I mean I almost did but I don’t,” he sat down and folded his legs and looked up at him expectantly, “talk to me Gandalf, explain why we couldn’t just take the eagles to Mordor,” he quipped and Heru gave him a weak smile.   
“Those movies haven’t even come o-” Wade pressed a finger to his lips.

“Shh shh, it’s a book reference, just talk,” he whispered, making him smile even more and it was such a reprieve from the cold.

“I don’t know if I can,” he sighed, “I mean, because if I didn’t, worse things would happen,” he summarized but Wade only frowned at him.

“How could you  _ know _ that though? With absolute certainty? I mean, I get that it’s the whole ‘if you could go back in time and kill Hitler when he was a kid, would you’ kind of question and I get that you can see different timelines and shit, but… how can you be so sure it would have made things worse?” he challenged.

“Because,” he cast his gaze around, trying to find a way to explain, “I need a pen and paper.”

“Uh ok,” Wade jumped up and grabbed a handful of printer paper and returned, holding out a pen as well.

“Thanks,” he patted the couch next to him and he sat down, “picture a spider’s web,” he said, quickly drawing one on the page, “there’s the center point, the event.”

“Like Infano?” he questioned and Heru nodded.

“Yea, the center is what we consider a fixed time but technically there is no such thing. Anything can be changed given the time and opportunity. I could have… I could have stopped it from happening but there’s a reason reapers are meant to observe and not influence. So you have your event and two types of threads coming from it. This is a massive simplification but it’s the best way I can think of to explain it. So see these threads,” he pointed to the radial and mooring threads that went straight out, “these are things that will happen as a direct result of the event, spanning out across the reality,” he pointed to the viscid and framework threads, “these are like ripples, a cascade effect from the event that aren’t  _ directly _ caused by it, but they are in a way and it’s really complicated but they connect to these things,” he pointed back to the radial threads, “it essentially creates the reality you’re in and it’s all connected and you touch one part, and it’s felt throughout the entire web.”

“Ok that makes sense, so you can see the effects of the event but-” he held up a hand.

“Not done,” and he covered the page in more spiderwebs, connecting them all and began drawing more on another page, pointing at the first as he said, “this is your reality, it is constructed based around all these ‘fixed’ points that interact and literally create the world you live in. This is another reality,” he set the page next to it, the webs connecting, “all the realities are connected in the multiverse by Life, it’s the universal energy that binds all living things together in this… web of the universe. A reaper can see all of this, all the time, the effects of the events that create realities are obvious to us and all the different timelines are stacked on top of each other so that we see every possibility in every moment of time. That’s how our vision works and we inherently know all of this information. I typically only focus on the webs created by those on my list though because honestly, it’s just…  _ so much noise _ ,” he chewed his lip as he looked at him, “does that make sense?”

“So everything  _ is _ predetermined?” he asked and Heru shook his head vehemently.

“No, no it’s not ‘predetermined’. I get that from your perspective it might  _ look _ like that but anything could happen to change these things excepy reapers exist  _ outside _ of time, all of this has already happened and also didn’t happen because there’s definitely realities out there where Infano did not occur on July thirteenth,” he said and Wade just stared at him, “most people are limited to their reality, to their linear existence. They are born and they exist only in the present from their perspective, incapable of truly comprehending the fact that  _ time _ doesn’t  _ really _ exist,” he didn’t point out that Wade was not like most people, that he could, if he found a way to make sense of the chaos in his mind, break through those barriers, “so you tend to see things as ‘fated’ or ‘destined’ to be but really, it’s all already happened and is happening and will happen all simultaneously.”

“Ok, I think I get it,” he gave his head a shake, “I get that you… understand all this but I still don’t understand  _ why _ it had to happen, like tell me what exactly would have happened if we’d stopped it.”

“First of all, the number one rule of reaping: we don’t get to play a god, even if it may seem like we have the power to. Secondly, it would have an impact on multiple universes. It would cause the extinction of mutants in one reality where it’s stopped. It gets delayed even longer, giving them the time to resolve the side effects it has on non-mutants and it’s deployed in every school, every city, every village across the entire planet. The mutant gene is whipped out before you ever get the opportunity to fight back. In  _ this _ reality though, if I hadn’t fucked with Bradley and made him all paranoid and he had stayed on schedule, Infano would have been tested a month from now. They still wouldn’t have completely worked out the kinks and the exact same thing would have ended up happening. If we had  _ prevented _ it from happening all together,” he had watched the effects a million times, agonized over the possibilities for weeks, ever since Wade had waltzed into his life, “then Bradley would have the sixteen scientists involved killed, believing that one of them had leaked the information and he wouldn’t care who, they would all have to die. No love lost in my opinion but still, more lives taken. Then they would have taken it to Nebraska and tested it in an elementary school with over twelve hundred students, increasing the death count. At least with allowing it to happen when it did, the military is backing out of the project and it’s going to be shelved. They won’t use Infano. The universe is impossibly vast and chaotic but it will always,  _ always _ , seek balance and if you change one thing here,” he pointed at one web, “it will force a balance here,” he said, pointing to another and sighed heavily, he looked at him hopefully, a small part daring to believe that he would understand and accept it. Wade stared at him, his eyes searching his face but he couldn’t read him, not when his own anxieties were distorting his perception.

“Why didn’t you just tell me all this? You could have told me so I wouldn’t have been so blind-sided and…” he didn’t finish his sentence but he didn’t need to. Heru smiled ruefully at him.

“Because  _ of course _ you would have tried to stop it,  _ of course _ you couldn’t just sit around and let all those kids die. You would have been convinced you could stop it from happening and when you couldn’t,” he had seen that too, had watched what would have happened if he’d just been honest with him, “I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t put that on you…” Wade lifted his arm and pulled Heru onto his lap. 

“You didn’t want me to feel responsible for it like you do?” he asked quietly, his voice thick and Heru touched his chin with tentative finger tips.

“No, to see you hurt like that… that would have been unbearable for me to endure. I’m sorry,” he admitted his selfish act but Wade simply kissed him tenderly.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

**July 15, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **5:54 PM**

**Wade**

Wade wrapped his arms around Heru and held him against his chest, resting his chin on the smaller man’s head. Weasel was right: he had been acting like a fucking moron. The fact that he had even thought for a moment that Heru would just let children die without having considered the consequences had him doubting his own cognitive functions.

_ {Maybe all those bullets to the brain affected something.] _

He hadn’t really understood the burden that he carried until that moment. Heru’s melt down before Infano made a lot more sense and felt a wave of guilt for having reacted so poorly. The memory of him pushing Heru away when Max had told him what was going on flashed in his mind and he held him tighter. He’d been trying to protect him from the guilt that he definitely would have felt had they interfered and he couldn’t blame him for not telling him. The fact that he had been carrying the weight of such a horrific event… Wade closed his eyes, wishing he could ease that pain for him.

“Remind me never to apply for the reaping gig, k?” he teased, pulling away enough to look down at his tender face. Heru smiled up at him and god dammit if it really wasn’t one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.

“I guess I should throw out the application then huh?” he teased back and Wade grinned and kissed the tip of his nose.

“I get it boo, and I can’t even begin to imagine just how isolating it must be. Here I thought being a mercenary had its disadvantages,” he whistled, “I can’t imagine what it’s like for you.”

“Mm,” Heru sighed and ran a hand across his check, cupping the back of his head, “you make it hurt less,” he whispered, “you are so warm and deep. Most people turn cruel and hateful when given as much pain as you but you…” he smiled, his eyes penetrating his soul, “you are beautiful and filled with such an endless well of love that I could sit here forever perfectly content to just be this close to something so warm…”

_ {Well damn} _

_ [He’s going to make me blush] _

“You are so,  _ so _ , strange, you know that right?” he smiled back at him and he rolled his eyes.

“Mmm, I’ve been told,” he pulled back and poked at the gore on his suit, “so um… you ok? Something tells me this isn’t ketchup,” he pointed out.

“Yea, I’m good now,” he said dismissively, “I mean, I wanna fucking tear Bradley apart from limb to limb but I’m good,” he grinned and Heru bit his lip as he mulled something over.

“You know… Bradley’s time of death is set but the method isn’t,” he said slowly, “I had planned to drive him to kill himself, but if you want… we could make a fourth date of it?” he suggested and Wade beamed at him.

“You just know how to spoil a girl don’t you?”


	22. Chapter 22

###  Chapter Twenty Two

**July 16, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **1:32 AM**

**Wade**

He was in that halfway point between asleep and awake where the boxes were talking but he couldn’t see them and he could think about making this the new normal. They were naked, Heru pressed against his side between him and the back of the couch, half buried in the cushions.

“‘Pool,” Heru whispered and he grunted his acknowledgement, reluctant to leave the fuzzy state, “we should get going if you’re coming with me,” he told him and he opened his eyes to see Heru’s face looking at him expectantly. He groaned and stretched, shaking his head to wake himself. He’d never had anything that could resemble a normal sleep schedule or at least, he didn’t think he had until he’d started spending so much time with someone who didn’t sleep. It wasn’t like he needed to sleep the usual eight hours most people needed, hell he probably couldn’t even if he tried but the term schedule had lost a lot of its meaning the past month. He’d been sleeping when and wherever he could. 

“You still want to come, right?” Heru asked a little nervously and he rolled off the couch with a pained grown.

_ [Seriously need to buy a bed] _

“Oh hell yes,” he said with a stretch, “it’s a party I wouldn’t miss for the world,” he joked, meaning every word as he put on his suit. Heru grinned and handed him his boots. He dressed quickly and only packed Bae, Arthur and Larry. He didn’t even need Bae and Arthur, probably wouldn’t even need Larry but it was like leaving the house without clothes: he just felt naked without them. Which made him think about the other non-issue that was starting to become a very real and big issue: his serious lack of clothing. Ever since his apartment had blown up and he’d ended up at Heru’s, he had not only put off finding a new place, but he’d also neglected other essentials. True, he’d picked up a few pairs of pants and a couple t-shirts but having them live in a pile on the floor next to a hamper was hardly settling in. 

“I figured we could walk,” Heru said, pulling on his converse and tying the laces, “at least part of the way anyway. Maybe pick up some ice cream on the way back?”

“Sure peanut,” he agreed, ice cream sounded like a nice way to commemorate the deed. They left a few minutes later, climbing out the window and down the fire escape and made their way down Amsterdam Ave. Heru was quiet, his eyes growing darker the further they walked and he considered asking him what was on his mind but decided against it. Instead, he took the domestic approach.

“Soooo,” he drawled, “I’ve been thinking about finding an apartment,” he said, glancing over at Heru and watching as his eyes narrowed.

“Why?” he blurted, coloring rising at the back of his neck and dusting his cheekbones, “I mean, you can stay, you know? At the apartment, if you want.”

“Are you asking me to move in with you?” he gushed, grinning stupidly and Heru rolled his eyes.

“You already live with me idiot,” he pointed out and Wade laughed.

_ {He’s so sweet} _

“Not true! Until there’s a bed, I consider what we’re doing squatting,” he argued.

“Squatters don’t pay rent,” he countered.

“True,” he agreed solemnly, “but if I’m going to live there officially, I want a bed,” he argued, “and clothing because as much as I love being naked with you, at some point, I would like to wander around in something other than my birthday suit and this one.”

“Unacceptable, not under my roof,” he retorted immediately, shaking his head adamantly, “you can have a bed, but nope, no clothes for you,” he grinned at him and Wade grinned from under his mask.

“And what about when we host dinner parties for all the other mercs huh? You expect me to just… have it all hanging out?” he scoffed and Heru looked at him, dead serious.

“You’ll have an apron,” he responded easily, “I wouldn’t want you not to leave  _ something _ for our guests’ imagination.”

“Now I’m imagining having the kind of dinner party that turns into an orgy,” he said thoughtfully.

“There are dinner parties that don’t?” Wade roared with laughter, throwing an arm around Heru’s shoulders and pressing a kiss against his head.

“You’re perfect you know that?” he chuckled and Heru smirked up at him.

“Fiiiiine,” he sighed, rolling his eyes, “I guess my apartment is a little spartan,” he conceded.

“A little? You have a couch, a bunch of electronics and a rat’s nest in the corner!” he shouted, making Heru laugh.

“Hey! Don’t hate on Louis! He lived there before me, I couldn’t exactly kick him out! It would have been rude,” he laughed.

“How did I not know that you named the rat?” he asked, utterly shocked.

“You didn’t?” he scrunched up his face in thought, “huh, I could have sworn I mentioned him before. Must not have been out loud,” he shrugged, “well, his name is Louis, he’s six months old and he is looking for a mate so if you know any girls who might be interested, he’s got a sweet setup and his roommates are complete  _ slobs _ ,” he rambled and Wade’s heart did that thing where it melted into his shoes with affection for the babbling man. 

“I didn’t realize you were a wing man to rats in your spare time,” he teased and Heru elbowed him.

“I suppose if you can get past sharing the apartment with Louis, then we could go to Ikea and pick up a few things,” he said with a defeated sigh.

“And maybe a cage and some sweet furnishings for Louis?” he offered and Heru beamed.

“Hells yea, we could get one of those cages with all the tunnels and shit,” he said excitedly, “do they have tiny tales habitats in this reality?” he asked curiously, looking away as he tried to figure it out. Wade had no idea what the hell he was talking about. He’d never had a rat as a pet before, sure he’d shared his various hovels with them, but he’d never actually done more than throw bits of food and watch them lose their minds over it. He was still stuck on the fact that he was officially moving in. 

They walked through Morningside Park and Central Park on their way to Bradleys, avoiding the streets where possible. Heru seemed to prefer walking through the greener parts of the city so Wade made a point to go through the parks whenever he could. Heru avoided subways and other crowded areas in order to avoid touching people as much as possible, an issue Wade had honestly forgotten about because of how much time Heru spent touching him. He hadn’t even thought about it until they were passing a large group of drunken guys and he practically tripped over himself to get out of possible touching distance. It took them just over two hours to make it to Madison Square and Heru stopped him just as they were approaching the tower. 

“So this is gonna be a little different,” he said, glancing up at the building, “he isn’t supposed to be murdered, not officially anyway so that means no katanas and no Larry,” he instructed and Wade nodded.

“Ok, roger that,” his mind raced with the other possibilities.

“Also, I get to talk to him first,” his eyes darkened, the blackness creeping out and devouring the brown.

“You’re the boss, just tell me when and I’ll,” he drew his finger across his throat. Heru looked at him, chewing his lip anxiously.

“I’ve never done this with someone else before,” he admitted, “reaped one of my presents I mean. Obviously I’ve reaped with a lot of people before, but…”

“What do you mean by presents?” he asked, he’d been dying to ask since he’d first called Bradley his ‘deathday present’.

“Once a year, on the day of my last death, I get to pick one soul that is on my list that’s… exceptional and do… everything I’ve been doing with Bradley,” he said dismissively and he got the impression it was a lot more complicated but he shrugged it off and figured he’d explain if and when he wanted to, “it’s a little weird with someone else,” he said quietly and Wade hesitated as Heru opened the service door.

“I don’t have to, if you want to do this alone, I get it’s kind of a private thing,” he offered but he shook his head, smiling weakly.

“If there was anyone I could share it with, it’d be you,” he admitted and held the door open, “come on, before someone sees us.”

  
**Apartment 405** **  
** **Madison Square Park Tower, New York City** **  
** **3:49 AM**

Alexander James Bradley was born December 29, 1942 to Robert and Praticia Bradley in London, England. His parents immigrated to America in 1946 shortly after World War II, making their new start in Providence Rhode Island. Robert Bradley was a hard worker, a man with a firm set of beliefs in regards to behaviour and obedience that he expected from his wife and son. He survived serving his country during the war and carried more scars on his mind than on his body but he loved his wife and he loved his son within his limited capacity. He had seen the face of evil and held the belief that there was some darkness that was just born into certain individuals and if not kept in check, they would seek to dominate those around them. He recognized that darkness in his son from a very young age when he came across little Alexander plucking the feathers from a bird that had crashed into their window. In his misguided way, he attempted to show his son the errors of his ways and teach him the difference between right and wrong. Unfortunately, his use of physical enforcement combined with his own drinking and abusive behaviours only served to teach Alexander how to present a respectable outer self to the world while hiding the darker sides of himself. 

Patricia Bradley did everything in her power to love her son but the abuse from her husband robbed her of the strength required to endure and she became fatally ill when Alexander was seven years old. She died shortly after and it was just him and his father from that point on. He was well provided for, reaping all the benefits of being a white male born to an upper-middle class family. It awarded him all the opportunities to build a successful life. He attended Harvard University and graduated with an MBA and quickly worked his way to a starter position in Kenal Industries. He rapidly rose through the ranks, surpassing all expectations his supervisors had all the while keeping his darkness hidden behind closed doors and building one of the world’s largest human trafficking circles it would ever see. Under the tutelage of the CEO, he was brought into the secret research and development projects conducted and funded by Kenal. He revolutionized the company as he combined the two businesses, hiding the illegal activities within the legal ones conducted by the corporation. 

The cruelty and utter dehumanization of his victims had drawn the attention of a certain reaper while he was learning about the souls on his list. He had watched him throughout his life and he understood what kind of man Alexander would grow to become and all the lives he would affect. His actions would work to shape the world in which he lived in and none of it, for the better. The worst part for the reaper was knowing that he would never truly be punished for his crimes. He was a soul at the end of its existence, to be reaped and never to be reborn and therefore, would not receive punishment in any afterlife or reincarnation. It would be years later, long after the mutant wars and the civil wars when historians would search through all the surviving data and they would uncover only a portion of Alexander’s role in those events. His name would go down in the records as a minor offender, a pencil pusher that added to the problems created by the larger evil, Kenal Industries. He would be viewed as a footnote in history and no one would know the truth, the information lost to time and he would effectively escape justice even in memory. His victims would remain nothing but casualties of war, their names lost and forgotten by all except one.

**July 16, 1998**

**Apartment 405** **  
** **Madison Square Park Tower, New York City** **  
** **3:49 AM**

**Heru**

Heru waited as Wade picked Bradley’s apartment lock and disarmed the security system. Once inside, he could hear the shower running from the master bedroom and he smiled happily.

“Guess he didn’t like the nightmares I sent him,” he whispered to Wade and led the way down the dark hall towards the crack of light coming from the bathroom. He paused to consider his options. He had been waiting for this moment for a month, for years really, and had planned it all out, except, he hadn’t followed that plan at all. Wade had been the proverbial monkey wrench to his plans.

“Ok, so when you kill him-”

“You mean we,” he interjected and Heru smiled.

“When  _ we _ kill him, it needs to appear as an accident. Since he’s in the shower, I suggest breaking his neck and positioning him accordingly,” he said. This was his project, his deathday present that he’d been slowly tormenting and yet a part of him was just eager to get it over with.

_ ‘You’ve lost your edge’ _

_ <More like remembered his humanity> _

_ [Do you not like your present?] _

_ I like it just fine _

_ [Yet you have no interest in it] _

Heru had spent the last three hundred years, day in and day out, either reaping souls or torturing one. He would reap the innocent victims, reap the souls whose death was a result of some horrible individual on his list and then he would torment the individual. He had perfected the art of torture, knew every way imaginable to break a person’s body and spirit. He had spent so long with evil that he hadn’t realized just how much of it he had soaked up, how it had seeped into every fiber of his being. He hadn’t noticed until he had spent time with Wade and the truth was that he wasn’t interested in it anymore, at least, not in the same way as before. Of course, he still wanted Bradley to pay for everything he’d done. He wanted him to suffer,  _ needed _ him to suffer, but he didn’t crave it as much as he thought he would.

_ {That will change as soon as you get the taste again} _

_ ‘You just need to get back in the swing of things’ _

Typically by the time the person’s due date came, he felt like a dog salivating over a bone, eager to rip the soul apart and feed off the human shell and send the remains to the Wastes. However, as he walked through Bradley’s bedroom, he felt nothing but a sense of duty and the desire to quickly get it done instead of savoring it so that he could go back home and be in the warmth that was Wade, not this cold death. The monster within stirred, roused by the scent of his soul but tempered by the warmth that was still emanating from Wade.

_ I can’t do this with Wade here _ , he realized and quickly turned to ask him to wait in the bedroom.

“Sure sweetums,” he agreed, flopping down on the bed and going through the man’s nightstand. 

He stepped into the bathroom and stood for a moment, watching as Bradley stood under the falling water, his back bent, shoulders slumped with exhaustion. His soul was already torn in places, fragmented and wisping out like frayed sheer curtains that extended past his body in decaying limbs. His body had tried to keep up with the deterioration, unable to locate the cause and Heru knew that he must physically feel like complete shit. 

_ <Good> _

_ Mmm _ , he agreed, the darkness rising inside himself as he looked at the man before him. Drawing the scent of his soul in, he breathed deeply and allowed himself to become visible. 

“Alex,” he whispered from just outside the shower door, tapping on the glass. Bradley gave a startled cry, nearly slipped but managed to catch himself and throw open the door.

“Who the fu-” Heru’s hand flew up to wrap around his throat, cutting his words off as he held him in an impossibly tight grip. He walked into the shower, the water running over him but leaving no trace and Bradley’s eyes widened. He loosened his grip enough to allow him to talk. It was usually more interesting. 

“Did you have something to say, my love?” he asked, using his thumb to tilt his face towards him.

“It’s you,” he whispered and all of his bravado and power were lost to him, stripped away by the undeniable knowledge that he was in the grip of something far more powerful and ancient than he could even begin to comprehend.

“So it is,” he forced him onto his knees, “and I have a present for you pet,” he purred, keeping his grip on him so that at no point could he take his eyes off him.

“Please, whatever you want-” he started to beg and Heru looked at him curiously.

“Do you remember how Sandra begged?” he asked, pulling on her imprints and bringing the memory to the surface for him.

“Yes…” he admitted in a terrified whisper.

“Do you remember what you said to her?” he tilted his head, his smile growing as Bradley recalled the words. 

“Yes,” he tried to look away but Heru gripped his cheek with the other hand and forced his face back to his.

“There is no hope for your kind, Alex,” he repeated the words to him, the darkness inside humming approval at the fear in his face, “do you want your present?” He shook his head and tried to pull away, making his grip tighten even further. He knelt down in front of him, positioning himself so they were eye level and smoothed his wet hair back gingerly. Heru’s eyes had lost their whites the moment he’d stepped into the bedroom and the blackness spread outwards across his cheekbones as he stared at the face in front of him. He considered how this was the last face so many people had seen, mostly women since his preference had always been to destroy women. Those were the ones he had taken such a personal interest in. He studied the lines and folds of his skin, the brown liver spots that were speckled across his aging flesh. His pale eyes were soft, almost kind, punctuated by his strong jawline. He leaned in and forced his mouth to his, breathing his future into him. Bradley screamed and Heru laughed, unable to contain himself as he watched him watch what was about to happen. 

“No, no please!” he sobbed, his hands reaching up to grab at Heru’s jacket, “please, I’ll do anything,” he pleaded but Heru simply smiled at him.

“You understand what I am?” he asked, tracing a finger across his face, wiping at a tear and looking at it reflectively.

_ ‘It is always so interesting how they all react the same’ _

“Oh god,” he whimpered and nodded, “please don’t do this, I’ll do anything.”

“Then you know that your pleas aren’t going to save you, it’s time Alex,” he whispered, his lips brushing against his ear, smiling. He knew he should wait for Wade, should call him in to kill the body first but despite everything he’d been feeling earlier, he still craved this. _ {Told you} _ . He hadn’t played with him enough, hadn’t had the pleasure of slowly tearing his soul apart and this would be his last chance. Licking his lips, he placed his hand over Bradley’s chest and began to pull. To remove the soul from a living body would cause exerciating pain, both psychologically and physically. It was akin to having fragments of metal beneath the skin and going into an active MRI machine, the magnetic field creating an electrical current and burning the body from the inside out. At the sound of his screams, Wade poked his head into the room.

“How’s it goin’ in here, boo?” he asked casually, looking between Bradley and Heru. He turned to look at him and smiled.

“Perfect timing,” he said, grinning and beckoning him over with a jerk of his head, he turned to Bradley, “I thought I would bring along the man you tried to use to run from me. It’s funny actually, how you hired your own assassin,” he remarked. Bradley was in too much pain to even comprehend that Deadpool had entered the room, his eyes locked on Heru and his mouth open in a silent scream as his soul was being pulled through it.

“That’s called irony and not in the Alanis Morissette way,” Wade commented, unable to see the black and yellow energy coming out of the man’s mouth and eyes, but undoubtedly able to sense it.

“Mm,” he stood, pulling Bradley to his feet with his free hand, “you still wanna do the honors?” he asked, a part of him hoping he’d say no so that he could.

“Oh yea,” he nodded and Heru stepped back. He stopped pulling on his soul so that it was hanging from him as if he’d pulled organs out, dripping onto the floor between them.

“Please…” he whispered, his eyes finally landing on Deadpool. Wade grabbed his neck and whispered something in his ear that Heru couldn’t hear. He smiled at the look that crossed Bradley’s face.

“Say goodnight, Gracie,” he said happily and with one hand, easily snapped his neck. Alexander Bradley fell to the floor, the rest of his soul separating from his body and rushing towards Heru. He consumed the human fragments like a black hole.

“This will just take a second,” he told Wade and stepped into the Between and then into the Wastes. He released the remains of Bradley’s soul, watching as it was torn apart even further by the Soul Eaters. He let out a long sigh before stepping back into the bathroom. 

Wade was attempting to position the body like it had slipped and fallen. Heru knew there would be no marks from where he’d held him by the throat, the bruising and swelling a result only from the broken neck.

“Looks good,” he said as Wade stepped back, using a towel to wipe the water from his suit.

“Should have brought a poncho,” he said with a slightly irritated sigh.

“I mean, you could have shut the water off while you were in there,” he pointed out and Wade stared at him, the thought clearly not having crossed his reckless mind and Heru chuckled, “come on, I need something to wash the taste out of my mouth. I’m thinking either cookie dough or Reese's peanut butter ice cream, you?”


	23. Chapter 23

###  Chapter Twenty Three

**July 16, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **4:40 AM**

**Wade**

They took a cab home and stopped at the convenience store across from the apartment and picked up both cookie dough and Reese’s ice cream along with a few other snacks. 

“Wanna get a movie?” Wade suggested when Heru came up to the counter, his arms laden with snacks and two slurpees. 

“Sure, which movies?” he piled everything on the counter and the blurry eyed clerk started to ring things through. They went through the list of rentals available, Heru made a stack while Wade couldn’t decide between Home Alone or Pretty Woman.

“Ever see either of these?” he asked, holding them up and Heru raised an eyebrow.

“Julia Roberts and Richard Greer are only second best in on-screen chemistry after Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks and  _ yes _ of  _ course _ I’ve seen Pretty Woman, I mean, it’s kind of required material for all hookers,” he joked and slid his pile over, “and Kevin is a psychotic genius, I’ve seen them all. These ones, I have not,” Wade took the pile and started to go through.

“What the shit Heru! You haven’t seen Pulp Fiction?? Or Clueless!? Oh my god,” he picked up Schindler’s List and Goodfellas, “oh my god baby,” he sighed heavily, “it’s ok, it’s ok,” he cooed, pulling Heru into a hug, “we’ll get all of these,” he told the clerk, adding Pretty Woman and Home Alone to the stack and sliding it across the counter, “we have some serious education to do.” Heru laughed and pushed away.

“Hey in my defense, there are some amazing movies in my time especially the superhero ones,” he argued, “although Green Lantern was admittedly pretty terrible but Ryan totally makes up for it when he does your movie,” he muttered while Wade paid for their purchases.

“What was that cookie?” he asked, accepting the bags. 

“Nothing,” he held the door open for him and they headed down the alley and climbed the fire-escape, “you know, I think I should just put a welcome mat out here,” Heru remarked as Wade pried the window open and climbed inside.

“We can pick up one of those ones that say welcome when you’re coming in and go away when you’re leaving,” he suggested, carrying the bags into the kitchen while Heru climbed inside. He set the bags down and pulled his mask off, happy to breathe freely and removed his katanas.

“Those ones are fun,” he agreed and grabbed the swords from Wade, setting them against the coffee table, “here,” he smiled warmly at him, pulling him by his belt and finding the zipper to open the top, “let me,” he offered and Wade didn’t argue as he pushed the leather off his shoulders.

“Mmm,” he lifted Heru and sat him on the back of the couch, his legs instantly wrapping around his waist.

“Here, I’ll help with this too,” he said helpfully and removed his belt as Wade pulled him in for a kiss, his mouth cool and immediately opening to him. 

“You’re so helpful,” he purred and pulled his gloves off, his hands going under Heru’s  _ Twenty One Pilots _ shirt and pulled it off his head. He tossed it behind him, his fingers digging into Heru’s back, “we should put the ice cream away,” he murmured, biting at his neck.

“Mm, I’ll fix it later,” he murmured back, dropping the belt to the floor and undoing his pants, “hmm Wade?” 

“Hmm?” his hand laced in his hair, pulling his head back gently to give him more access to his neck.

“You know you can use that super strength on me right?” he questioned and he pulled away to look at him, a sly expression darting across his fox like features.

“Why didn’t you mention that weeks ago?” he grinned, the hand in his hair yanking his head back and making him gasp.

“I actually assumed you knew,” he responded, his feet kicking his pants down.  _ {Definitely should have realized that when you shot him multiple times and he didn’t flinch} _ . Wade’s mind started to race with possibilities as he kicked his boots and pants off. 

“Got a pain kink?” he asked curiously, lifting him up so he could yank his pants over his hips, hands gliding across his ass. Heru’s voice chuckled against his neck.

“A little, I only feel physical pain when I want to...” he looked up at him, his cheeks flushed and more gold than brown in his eyes, “give me your worst,” he whispered and Wade raised a hairless brow.

“You sure cupcake?” he questioned, eyes searching for any hint of doubt but he just leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“My safe word is pickles,” he whispered, his breath sending a shiver down his back and Wade chuckled at his chosen word.

“I like it, mine is pumpkin spice,” he replied, stepping back to pull his pants off completely before taking a moment to admire him sitting on the back of the couch, smirking back at him with that shit-eating smug ass look he loved so much. 

“However… I might have some other ideas,” Heru purred, his eyes growing darker and he had the sudden feeling that he wasn’t going to get a chance to use his super strength that night if the expression on his face was any indication. Something else had taken over in those eyes, a dominance that made Wade gulp and want to do everything he said. Heru crossed his legs, “have you been a good Deadpool?” he asked and Wade’s head bobbed in a circle, unable to decide which answer would result in the most fun.

“Yea-no,” he shook his head, “I haven’t been good, just killed this guy and totally stole a cab from an old lady in the middle of the night, who knows if she ever made it home,” he rambled, his breathing increasing as he watched Heru slide off the couch and start circling him, tsking in disapproval. He touched his chest with his fingers and trailed them across his body as he walked around him. Wade shifted his weight, unbelievably exposed but there wasn’t any hesitancy, any feeling of fear making him tremble with anticipation, only desire. 

“Hmm, might need to add another store to our shopping trip,” he mused, stopping behind him and sliding a hand down his spine and over his ass, fingers brushing up the crack before he continued walking around him, “but for now….” he bit his lip and stopped in front of him, “I have other ideas. Stay,” he ordered and grabbed a shoebox from under the couch. He pulled out his cuffs, a bottle of lube and a satin scarf. Wade did as he was told, smiling and clasping his hands together in front of him.

“I like the sound of that,” he agreed, watching with interest as Heru started to look around the place. He walked over to a wall and his hand curiously disappeared in it as he looked around for something.

“Here, come here,” he called and he walked over, looking at his hand then him, “use some of that strength of yours, there’s a set of copper pipes behind the wall,” he explained and pulled his hand back out. 

“Yes sir,” he punched a hole through the drywall and cleared enough away to expose the copper piping.

“Perfect,” he beamed and attached the cuffs around the pipes, “you’ll have to be a good boy and not pull too hard against these or we won’t have hot water for weeks,” he instructed, grabbing Wade’s hand and strapping him into the restraints, his arms just above his head. 

“Yes sir,” he grinned, the soft scarf covered his eyes and the world disappeared from sight.

**July 16, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **5:02 AM**

**Heru**

Heru stepped back to admire the view of Deadpool stuck to the wall, his arms above his head, elbows bent as he stood, the blindfold wrapped tightly over his eyes. 

_ <Perfect> _

_ ‘I thought we were going to be the one tied up and seeing just how hard he can fuck?’ _

“Patience,” he whispered to the voices, he had more than enough time to enjoy a variety of things with him. When Wade had stepped back before, he’d realized just how much he’d wanted to make him beg and not the other way around. He knew Wade was a switch but that he preferred to play a more submissive role if given the opportunity and Heru was more than happy to provide one, or many. He enjoyed being in control but what he wanted for Wade was about far more than just control. Wade had experienced more than enough pain in his life and the idea of causing him pain outright, even pain that he enjoyed and was coupled with pleasure, wasn’t as appealing as the other options available. He might enjoy the pain himself, but there were far better ways to make him beg. He smiled and took a step closer.

_ [Your power isn’t meant to be used for sexual games] _

_ Fuck off _ , he pushed the voices away and stood on his toes to kiss Wade, his lips barely brushing against his. He smiled when Wade tried to lean in closer and pressed a hand to his chest, pushing him against the wall and keeping him from being able to reach more of his mouth. 

“Uh uh,” he said gently, “no moving, you can only make noises,” he instructed, trailing his fingers from his wrists down his arms, across his armpits and down his sides, grinning when he remained still.

“You’re cruel,” he replied and Heru placed his palm flat on his chest, allowing the ice cold of death to radiate outwards and make him gasp. He didn’t move.

“Good boy,” he grinned, allowing the warm living energy to flood back out to chase the cold. He trailed his hand down to explore his cock, barely touching him. Wade stayed still, his breathing increasing slightly but he remained quiet, patient. Heru spent a good fifteen minutes creating goosebumps across his scarred skin with feather light touches, teasing him and applying just enough pressure to keep him nice and hard. He stuttered and gasped, his jaw clenched tightly and his hands clenched so tightly he heard a few bones break when he’d teased his ass, but he stayed still. It wouldn’t be about doing something to cause pain, it didn’t need to be, instead he wanted him to feel so good that it hurt. He was curious to know just how much Wade could take, how much teasing and sensation he could endure before he pleaded for release or if he would break the restraints to take it. He kissed him, maintaining a distance so that only his mouth was touching him, kissing him languidly. He savored the taste of his mouth, the feel of his teeth against his tongue and reluctantly pulled away, making a tiny whimper escape Wade that was worth it. He kissed down his neck, keeping his hands clasped behind his back as he forced himself to only touch him with his lips and tongue. He trailed kisses across his chest, spending several minutes finding out exactly what he needed to do to each nipple to make Wade whimper. 

“Fuck,” he growled and Heru heard another bone in his hand break.

“Hey now,” he chided, tsking and pulling away completely, “I said no moving, that includes your hands. I don’t wanna hear anymore bones snapping,” he ordered and Wade groaned in frustration. 

“This is cruel,” he repeated and Heru snickered.

“You want me to stop?” he asked, the tip of his tongue barely touching his hardened nipple.

“Hell no,” he admitted, shuddering. 

“Good,” he set back to work, his mouth travelling across his stomach, his tongue running across the muscles, following the lines of the scars. He knelt down and kissed across his hips, pressing feather light touches across his pelvis. He watched him as he ran the tip of his tongue up the length of his shaft, barely touching him and breathing cool air out. 

“God dammit,” Wade growled, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Heru grinned and continued the teasing action for several minutes, flicking his tongue across the tip to catch the beads of pre-cum as they appeared.

“Shit Heru,” he whined, his voice cracking and his hips bucked. Heru pulled away completely, “noooo,” he cried, “I’m sorry, I won’t move again, I swear,” he babbled pleadingly. 

“There’s consequences you know,” he whispered, moving his mouth away from his painfully hard erection and instead kissing the surrounding skin, getting further away and kissing at his thighs. Wade let out a frustrated growl, “I know, you were doing so good and being so still and now,” he let out a pained sigh, “we have to start over,” he bit back a laugh at the noise of absolute horror he made.

“Fuck, you have way more patience than I’ve given you credit for,” he admitted and Heru did laugh.

“Oh honey, you have no idea just how patient I can be,” he got to his feet and ran a hand up his thigh and up his stomach, pulling at the life energy inside Wade to trail behind his touch, creating an indescribably warm, caramelized sensation across his skin. Wade’s breath came out in a shuddering sigh.

“I have no idea what you’re doing but that… that’s incredible,” he panted and Heru shifted the energy, pulling on the death energy instead and chasing the warmth with a startling contrast of ice, making him draw in a sharp breath. 

“I’m just getting started, sugar,” he said as he stepped back and allowed his vision to shift so that he was watching his soul and not his body. It was much larger than his physical form, a mass of colors threading inwards, time folding it and causing an almost explosive rippling. He reminded him of the way that the Crab Nebula from his reality had expanded over time. He allowed his own energy to reach out and touch it and was rewarded by another sharp intake of breath from Wade.

“Holy shit,” he stammered and Heru knew he wasn’t sure what was happening but the connection between body and soul was strong enough for it to create the most succulent of physical sensations. He stepped closer and brushed his fingers against both body and energy, momentarily losing himself in the absolute warmth in front of him. He knelt down again, allowing his mind to tease and tug at the soul in front of him while he flicked the end of his cock with his tongue. Wade whimpered, his body trembling even more. He pulled him into his mouth, providing only the feel of his mouth going up and down, keeping his tongue still as he brought the life energies into his mouth to wrap around him as well. He groaned loudly, his toes curling in as he refrained from moving. 

“Good?” Heru asked, his mouth coming off with a small pop and he flicked his tongue out to catch the bit of pre-cum that dripped. Wade made an incoherent noise before managing to form words.

“Going to come soon,” he said and Heru hastily pulled his soul back, ceasing his energy play, “noooo no no,” Wade pleaded, “fuck!” he yelled, frustrated and Heru chuckled.

“Not yet baby,” he placed kisses around the base of his cock, not ready to give him release. He continued to bring him to the edge only to remove all sensation when he grew too close for several more minutes. He was impressed when an hour had passed and he was still maintaining his control, funneling his frustration into a tirade of verbal complaints, pleas and nonsensical words. 

“It hurts,” Wade whimpered finally, his hips moving subtly in complaint and Heru wrapped his hand around his length at last. He could feel him pulsing against his hand, pre-cum running freely over his hand and he twitched in response.

“Do you want to come?” he asked, getting to his feet and for the first time since he’d started, leaned his entire body against Wade’s and kissed the hollow of his jaw.

“Yes,” he cried, nodding vigorously and Heru slowed his hand stokes and he almost felt bad at the strangled cry Wade made, “I can’t, I can’t anymore, please, fuck Heru let me come now or I’m going to fucking break these god damn fucking pipes,” he growled and Heru slowly increased his pace.

“Ask me nicely,” he whispered into his ear and he slumped against the wall, almost all of his weight on his wrists and making the pipes groan.

“Please,” he hissed through clenched teeth, “please let me come,” he begged and Heru kissed him heatedly, wrapping a hand around himself and Wade, using his pre-cum to provide moisture for himself as he stroked both of them.

“Wade…” he whispered, pulling his ear lobe between his lips, “you can come now,” he told him and he let out a cry as he bucked against Heru, pressing into his hip and hand. His come shot out with enough force to reach Heru’s chest and he closed his eyes, revelling in the feel of his heat and reaching his own climax. Wade was gasping for air, his entire body shaking violently as the waves of his orgasm swept over him, the rush of  _ finally _ getting release. Heru hastily unhooked his wrists. He slowly lowered his arms for him and slid down to the floor with him. He climbed onto his lap and straddled his legs, he slowly untied the blindfold and removed it just as carefully, fully aware of how his senses were in overdrive and the light would likely not only be painful but far too disorienting. It took him several minutes to come down, his breathing coming in quick, sharp breaths and slowly stabilizing. 

“That…” he gasped after a few minutes, “that was… what the hell was that?” he asked, finally managing to open his eyes and squint up at Heru.

“Good? I hope?” he smiled sheepishly, anxiety flaring up.

“No,” he shook his head tiredly and he felt a wave of nausea, “no not good, it was excellent, magnificent, wonderful, incredible… not good,” he clarified and Heru sighed with relief.

“Thank gods, for a minute there I was worried,” he admitted. Playing with people’s energy during sex had been something he’d discovered he could do shortly after becoming a reaper. It had been accidental and had actually been the first time he’d accidentally killed someone. Pull on their life energies too much and he’d end up consuming them. Push in too much death energy and well, dead. Over time, he’d learn how to control it just like everything else and he’d discovered there were thousands of ways to interact with the energy, some more fun than others. 

“Seriously?” Wade snorted, “I would lift a hand to point out just how much I enjoyed it but apparently… I can’t lift my arms,” he looked down at his limbs as they hung limply from his sides and Heru snorted.

“Oops, you’ll get feeling back in a few,” he promised and ran a finger through the come on his chest, “I can tell your body enjoyed it,” he sucked his finger clean, his insides fluttering at the way Wade’s pupils dilated in response.

“I’ve been edged before but that was something new… What did you do?” he asked, leaning his head back against the wall.

_ <Soul sex!> _

_ ‘Ugh, that’s such a terrible term’ _

_ {Accurate though} _

_ [I repeat, your power is not for sexual games.] _

“Past likes to call it soul sex,” he answered, mentally flipping Death off and getting to his feet, “I’m not the biggest fan of the term but I haven’t found a more accurate one. The most accurate would be what humans try to achieve with sacred sex where they do certain meditations and shit to become aware of their souls and the energy flow before having intercourse,” he explained and held out a hand to help him up.

**July 16, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **6:48 AM**

**Wade**

Wade flung his arm up, barely managing control over it as Heru helped him to his feet.

_ {Soul sex...heh I like that} _

_ [I liked having it!] _

“That’s… well whatever the fuck it was, it was good,” he managed, his knees were still shaking and he wobbled over to the couch. 

_ Shit, I feel like I just got rimmed for the first time _ . He’d experienced a wide variety of sexual pleasures in the past, had been both a dom and a sub but had always preferred being a sub. He’d even reached sub space a few times but never had he ever experienced it to that extent where he actually felt like… he couldn’t even put it into words. His body had recovered, the blood returned to his arms but he was still shaking and felt like jello.  _ Soul sex _ was definitely an accurate term.

“You want something to eat?” Heru asked from the kitchen, going through the bags and actually putting things away. He thought about the ice cream and how it must be Reese’s soup at that point.

“Uh, yea,” his stomach growled and he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, sighing happily. 

“Mkay,” he brought over the stack of DVD’s, left over Korean from the night before and both cartons of ice cream, frost clinging to their edges, “fixed the ice cream,” he said handing him the Korean and opening the cookie dough carton, so cold little puffs of steam were rising from it.

“So for real,” he opened the beef bulgogi, “what were you doing? I could tell that you weren’t always physically touching me… but… what were you doing?” he asked, struggling to articulate what he wanted to know.

“I can manipulate life and death energies, just like I did in the park with the flowers, it’s just… I can do it to your soul as well,” he explained, sucking on a spoonful of ice cream.

“So you can actually see people’s souls?” he asked, mildly horrified at the idea that Heru could see just how stained his soul was.

“All living things have souls and yea, I can see them all, kind of goes with the reaper gig,” he chewed on a chunk of cookie dough. Wade stuffed his mouth with beef to give him a minute to process what he’d said, considering it carefully.

“So earlier with Bradley… what did his soul look like?” he asked curiously, “do souls look different or are they all just...blobs of energy?”

“They’re all unique, except for soul twins which are really just one soul that’s existing in two forms, super rare by the way,” he answered, taking another spoonful, his brow knitting together thoughtfully, “Bradley’s soul was dying and diseased, it was… unpleasant. It’s hard to describe but definitely decayed in some spots, like black and slimy and just...rancid,” he shuddered, “complete opposite of yours,” he leaned over and stole a piece of beef from the container and ate it.

“Well that sounds gross,” he remarked, not daring to ask about his own soul. Did he even want to know? 

“It’s hard to look at yours to be honest,” he said quietly and Wade’s fork froze on the way to his mouth, fear and shame trickling down his spine, “not because it’s bad or anything!” he quickly said in a rush at seeing the look on his face, “the opposite really… it’s stunning and so bright it’s like looking straight into the sun, there are so many timelines and universes tied to you. It reminds me of a certain nebula that I sometimes watch,” he said, his voice getting quieter as his sentence trailed off and Wade watched him curious but confused.

“My soul looks like a nebula? How high are you right now?” he teased and Heru laughed.

“No for real! It’s really hard to describe what someone’s soul looks like. I mean, the English language is pretty limited here so bear with me but I can show you if you want? A picture I mean,” he leaned forward and fumbled to reach his cell phone on the coffee table. “I saved some of Nasa’s photos and a timelapse video of it because it’s honestly one of my favorite things to watch,” he hastened to explain, “it’s in the Taurus constellation in my reality, I don’t think it exists here,” he flipped his phone around and showed him the video, “I reaped the star and the supernova that resulted just… anyway, that’s it over a fifteen year period,” Wade took the phone and watched, a mixture of awe and confusion warring inside.

“This is…” it was the third time that night he’d been at a loss for words, a rare occurrence for him, “you… you think my soul looks like  _ this _ ?” he gaped, looking at him almost fearfully. How could that be possible? 

“I mean, that’s the closest approximation, it’s far more complex and beautiful than that but humans have limited vision and can’t see all the different spectrums so-” Wade cut him off, grabbing him and pulling him into a kiss. He couldn’t express what he was feeling in words, that wasn’t a skill he had, but he knew how to do it with his body. Heru moaned, his cookie dough flavoured mouth opening and pulling him in deeper. He pulled him into his lap with one hand, refusing to part their lips as he desperately tried to fill it with every emotion he felt until Heru pulled away, gasping. His eyes were completely black except for a hint of color sparking in their depths. Wade stared into them, they were so black and so deep.

“Heru,” he whispered and realized he was shaking again.

_ [Don’t say it] _

_ {You should definitely say it} _

“I know,” he smiled weakly and stared back at him, “and I do too,” he kissed him lightly and Wade sighed heavily, pressing his forward against Heru’s and trying to steady his racing heart. 

“So…” he said after a minute, “what do you wanna watch?” he asked, his voice hoarse and Heru pulled away and set the ice cream down to grab the stack of DVDs.

“Hmmm, how about… Pulp Fiction?” he asked, holding it up.

“Sure sweetums,” he said and settled into the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table while Heru messed around with the electronics. The F.B.I. warnings came up on the TV and Heru grabbed his ice cream and curled in beside Wade, offering him a bite as he hit Play Movie.


	24. Chapter 24

### Chapter Twenty Four

**July 17, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
****Harlem, New York City** **  
****9:42 AM**

**Heru**

_{Twenty two days}_

_[You will have to leave him.]_

_How about we live in the moment? Can you do that?_

_ <No> _

_{No}_

_‘Sure'_

Heru lay on the floor, the blanket underneath him as he propped his head in his hand, watching Wade sleep. They hadn't left the apartment since taking care of Bradley and instead had spent the past 38 hours watching movies, playing varoius sex games and video games and just generally enjoying each other’s company. After everything that had happened with Infano, he’d been desperate to feel anything beyond the cold grief and hate and he’d buried himself in Wade, literally and figuratively, savoring his warmth. They had both welcomed the distraction eagerly and it had been most effective. The apartment was a mess, the coffee table a pile of splinters after Wade had thrown Heru on to it. There were several more holes in the walls, Wade hadn't held anything back and things had gotten a bit more aggressive than either of them had intended. He smiled at the memories and chewed his lip ring as he watched his chest rise and fall.

“Not the unicorn!” Wade shouted, sitting up abruptly and startling himself awake. 

“Bad dream?” Heru asked, half amused and reached out with his free hand to rub his back. It took him a minute to wake up, Yellow and White flashing around him and Heru crawled over to bury his head in his lap. He rolled onto his back and looked up at him, smiling when Wade’s gaze focused on him and he smiled.

“Morning sweetcheeks,” he gave him a crooked smile before his eyes widened and he hastily got to his feet, “gotta empty the hose!” he shouted as he disappeared into the bathroom and Heru’s head thumped to the floor. He headed into the kitchen and stared into the fridge, having no idea what to make him for breakfast with the limited groceries. He had never learned to cook properly and had no desire to learn. Maybe in another couple hundred years he would blow a century in Japan. He shut the door and leaned against the table as he stared at the Wall of Douche(TM). Wade came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, breath minty fresh as he kissed him good morning.

“What did you want to do today?” he asked him, watching as he began pulling various leftovers out of the fridge to eat.

“Well as much as I would love a repeat of yesterday, I think I should be looking into this whole Zion shindig. I haven’t had a chance to go through Bradley’s calendar yet but I just need to sort out when and where the shipment is coming in,” Wade said, opening a carton of noodles and searching the sink for the fork. He rinsed it off before digging in.

_ <Should we tell him anything?> _

_‘Like what?’_

_{Same rules apply, even if it’s not fixed.}_

_[They must make their own decisions without your influence.]_

“Do you want help?” he asked, focusing on the wall and all the information hidden in the memos and emails and other numerous files and not on the voices in his head. 

“You _able_ to help?” he questioned, leaning against the table beside him and also looking at the wall.

_Yes._

_‘No’_

_ <But technically....> _

“In a limited capacity. Where are the pictures of the calendar?” he asked, looking around and expecting to see them printed off somewhere.

“On my phone, I got a bit distracted before I could look into it,” he nodded towards the broken coffee table and the small black object among the splinters. Heru went and picked it up, opening up the gallery as he walked back and started flipping through them.

“Well Starsky, I can at least confirm things for you. I can’t give you the information straight up but I can definitely help you find it,” he said, ignoring the voices as they shouted in complaint. He found the date he wanted and handed the phone over. The calendar date was marked only with a series of numbers that without the full knowledge of Bradley’s personal code, would have been overlooked, “August eighth is when they arrive in the country. If you can find anything about a shipment coming in that day, you’ll find the location and time. The last four digits of the shipment invoice will match the first four numbers there.” It was the most that he could tell him. The fact that Wade had accepted the role he’d had to play in Infano hadn’t changed the fact that he still wasn’t supposed to get involved, nor did it mean he could suddenly just tell him everything. He had the next few weeks off, the only remaining souls to reap in the time period would be when Wade intercepted the shipment of mutants. He would help where he could, so many parts of the events were still in flux and far more flexible than Infano which would provide him with the opportunity to… lend a guiding hand.

_[You’re splitting hairs]_

_Pot. Kettle._

“Thanks,” he took the phone and looked at the numbers, his brow creasing. He set the carton down and walked over to the wall, looking for something. 

“You recognize it?” Heru asked curiously and Wade nodded.

“Vaguely,” he sighed and turned around, “I was pretty sure I’ve seen an invoice with this number but fuck if I know, I’ve looked at so many damn papers in the last month I can’t keep any of it straight,” he picked up his carton of noodles and began shovelling them into his mouth again, glowering at the wall.

“I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful, it’s actually really frustrating,” he said apologetically.

“I know snookums,” he waved a hand dismissively, “I get it, I was right about you from the start. You really are a Peeping Tom, you watch it all but you don’t touch any of it,” he summarized elegantly and Heru snorted.

“Finally, someone who sees the true voyeuristic nature of Death, I knew you got me,” he drawled and Wade laughed.

“I always knew Death was a kinky bitch,” he said with a wink and turned back to the wall, Heru grinned.

_[You annoy me]_

“Here, let me help you look. I at least know what I’m looking for,” he offered, grabbing a stack of memos all dealing with Ponoa Dry Cleaning.

They spent the day going through every invoice they had. Heru grew increasingly frustrated, the voices a constant reminder that he needed to refrain from just telling Wade everything which became more difficult the longer it took. Future was especially unhelpful while also providing an unending commentary of the futility of maintaining a relationship. He ignored them but found it absolutely infuriating to be going through the charade of looking for information he already knew.

“Here!” Wade shouted triumphantly, holding up a sheet of paper and Heru looked up from the pile he had been going through on the floor behind the couch.

“Really?” he sighed with relief, “thank fuck.”

“It’s a shipment coming in from Moscow for Orion Operations and Co.," he read, "There isn't much information here but at least we know which pier it's coming in to," he handed him the slip of paper. Heru read over it, nodding before handing it back. 

_‘Final-fucking-ly’_

"So now what?" he asked, watching him as he started digging through more papers, “what’s your next move?”

"I wanna know how many people are being shipped and what kind of security were looking at," he said, "I'm guessing that there’s going to be an insane amount of protection going on, especially since they know someone's hacked them, but trying to traffic this many people isn’t easy and they’re not just going to change their dates, so I’m not worried about them moving it,” he started pulling out everything to do with Orion.

“True,” he leaned against the couch and grabbed the mermaid and started packing a bowl.

“I’ll also want to go get the lay of the land, do a whole scouting-” he paused and looked up at Heru, “shit, when did I get so... dare I say, almost like someone who thinks things through?” he asked, a slightly horrified look on his face. Heru scoffed as he drew in a deep lungful of smoke.

“Gods beware, Deadpool is maturing,” he remarked and Wade grinned.

“Never,” he threw the papers over his head and dove across the floor to climb into his lap and loom over him, “how about we say fuck this for today and you live up to your end of the agreement?” he suggested and Heru stared blankly up at him.

“My end of the agreement?” he echoed, confused.

“If you want me to stay here,” he answered, leaning in to nip at his neck, “you promised me there would be bed shopping.”

“Riiiight,” he squirmed under him, the bong still held in one hand as he turned his head to give him more access, “do you wanna do that now…. ‘Cus you’re giving me some other ideas…”

“Now!” he shouted determinedly, pushing away and jumping to his feet, he hand held out, “let’s take those ideas and test out some beds!”

**July 17, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
****Harlem, New York City** **  
****4:42 PM**

**Wade**

“Ooooh how about this one?” Heru called as he walked over to a large canopy bed. They’d made it to Ikea and had been walking around for half an hour looking for a bed frame. The black wood posts of the canopy were a striking contrast to the white sheer curtains that hung all around the bed and Wade raised a brow.

“I didn’t realize you were such a princess,” he smirked and folded his arms across his chest. It wasn’t that he hated it, it just wasn’t the kind of bed he would get for himself. He had just planned on getting a basic frame and cared far more about the comfort level of the mattress than the aesthetics of the frame but Heru had argued that if he was going to bother with getting one, it had to be nice.

“That’s an excellent choice!” a salesman said as he noticed them, Heru stood with one arm wrapped around a pillar watching Wade while the man approached, “this beauty is the Royal Kahala Canopy bed. It’s very minimalistic while still bringing that regal imperial energy to any bedroom,” he prattled on a little longer about its materials, the costs and the _amazing_ deal they just _happen to have_ currently. Wade rolled his eyes and looked at Heru, he sighed heavily.

“Ok so everything he just said,” Heru said, letting go of the post and he stood with his backside against the frame, his hands reaching out to both posts at the foot, “but also… picture you strapped to each post, spread eagle and at my mercy,” he said with a wicked grin that spread to Wade’s face, “or!” he eagerly grabbed one post and leaned his weight against it, “me strung up and at _your_ mercy,” he bit his lip, the look in his eyes making him want to pin him right then and there.

“Um,” the salesman cleared his throat and looked exceptionally awkward.

“We’ll take it,” Wade said, not taking his eyes off Heru who grinned.

“Start a cart, Squire! We need to find a mattress and box spring now,” Heru draped his arms around Wade’s neck and looked at the salesman and grinned.

“Yea ok,” the salesman grumbled, muttering “fucking faggots” under his breath. Wade stiffened, anger boiling down his spine but Heru’s hand on his chest kept him from knocking the asshole out.

“Don’t worry, he’s just jealous,” he said and turned back to the salesman and raised his voice, “maybe if he’s lucky we’ll invite him for a turn and see just how deep that homophobia goes,” he purred, his eyes black and cold. The salesman’s lips twitched but not wanting to risk his biggest sale of the month, he mumbled an apology before walking away to get their frame from the back. Satisfied, Heru turned back to Wade and kissed his chin.

“Rel turned me onto canopy beds and I’ve always said if I was going to bother getting another bed, it’d have to be a canopy or it just isn’t worth it but you get to pick the mattress ‘cus I don’t give a shit,” he said and pulled him forwards by his hand. He watched him skip towards the long row of beds and turn around, biting his lip and looking way too seductive for a public place, “how about we test some of these out?” he purred.

_[Think about baseball, isn’t that what they always say?]_

_Heru’s ass in tight baseball pants._

_[Quick!]_

_{Dead puppies}_

_[Wow…]_

_Effective… for a couple seconds._

Wade grinned and jumped onto one of the beds, his body bouncing as he settled in. Heru jumped on beside him and the two laid on their backs, staring up at the ceiling.

“This is awful,” Wade said after a minute and Heru climbed off.

“Alright Goldilocks, let’s find the one that’s juuuuust right,” he said before moving onto the next. 

_[He isn’t leaving right?]_

_{Why would he leave?}_

_[After Zion I mean]_

“Don’t talk about that, I don’t want to think about it,” Wade said aloud to them, not looking at Heru. He tried to ignore the boxes, his chest a mixture of pain and warmth as he turned to watch him. Heru jumped onto another bed and got on all fours, wiggled his ass at him and grinned from over his shoulder. 

“Hop on cowboy,” he drawled and Wade stared at his ass, grinning. 

“Excellent idea, must test how it is on the knees,” he agreed, jumping up behind him and grabbing his waist.

“Ahem,” the salesman had returned, his face a mask of disgust and annoyance as he looked at them, “please sirs, this is a _family_ store.” Heru buried his face in the bed, laughing as Wade’s grip on his hips tightened.

“We’re just trying to start one,” Wade said in a pained voice, placing a hand to his heart and looking at the salesman with wide, tear filled eyes, which were completely missed from behind his mask. Heru shook against him with laughter, which certainly didn’t help matters in his pants.

“Please behave appropriately or I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” he said firmly, giving Wade a nervous, disgusted look before walking away, Wade sighed heavily.

“Spoil sport,” he grumbled and Heru pulled away, reached up and pulled him down onto the bed and kissed him.

“Oh ignore him, he has no sense of humor and guessing by the way he was eyeing your sweet ass, he hasn’t gotten off in awhile,” he said as he pulled away, grinning. Wade snorted. He was wearing his usual jeans, t-shirt, hoodie, gloves and mask but Heru had pulled it up to expose his mouth for kisses before they’d even made it to the store. He hadn’t bothered to pull it back down, the kisses and air were worth the few stares he’d earned. When he was with him, he would almost forget that he looked like a monster but there was always at least one person to remind him he looked like a puff pastry gone wrong. 

“How’s this one?” Heru asked, interrupting his thoughts and he rolled around dramatically.

“Put on the list of possibles,” he answered and rolled off, holding a hand out to Heru who grabbed it and pulled himself up.

“Alrighty,” he hopped onto Wade’s back like a monkey, “onwards!” Wade grinned and walked over to another bed. He pulled Heru off and tossed him onto it. He squealed in delight and bounced across it, rolling to a stop and ignoring the stares from the other shoppers, Wade jumped onto the bed, causing Heru to bounce again.

“This is terrible,” he said almost immediately, sinking too far into the mattress and feeling like he was slowly drowning in a marshmallow. 

“It does seem too squishy,” he agreed and climbed off. They tried out several more, earning a few giggles from some of the shoppers when Heru shoved him off one bed and onto the floor. 

“How about this one?” Heru asked, falling backwards onto a nice thick mattress with memory foam, “It seems like it’s between the first one and the third one.”

“Hmm,” Wade laid down and rolled a bit, “good firmness,” he agreed, “adequate bounce and squish,” he sat up and looked behind him, “and the memory foam is a nice touch.”

“Is this the one baby?” he asked, climbing upwards to snuggle in beside him, Wade wrapped his arm around him, “shall I tell our Closeted Salesman to wrap it up?”

“This is where we’ll start our family,” Wade joked, making Heru grin. He rolled off the bed and waved over the salesman and Wade sat up, sitting on the edge, “I think there are a few other essentials we should probably pick up too.”

“Like what?” he stood in front of him and ran his hands over the back of his mask.

“Like a dresser… some cutlery would be nice too, although I’m not complaining. Eating cereal with a fork has enlightened me to the perfect balance of milk and cereal but I think we could handle expanding our options,” he smirked.

They spent the rest of the afternoon picking out a few more pieces of furniture including a new coffee table and an actual entertainment stand. Heru had insisted that he buy a gun cabinet and he ended up getting two that would hold the majority of his weapons. By the time they got home, Wade was wondering where they were going to fit everything in the tiny bachelor apartment. The king sized bed alone was bound to take up half the place. 

The furniture was delivered the following morning and Wade had been right to be concerned about fitting everything in the place. They managed to fit everything in, barely, and the previously empty and echoey apartment was packed full. They spent a couple days going between planning their attack on the Zion shipment and completing Wade’s shopping list of essentials like clothing, food, and dishware. He hated that he had to repurchase everything and lamented the loss of his favorite cast iron skillet but it was also a lot of fun replacing it all with Heru. For a moment, it almost felt like everything was normal and that they were actually building a life together. He could almost fool himself into thinking the looming termination date wasn’t casting a giant shadow across them. There wasn’t room in the apartment for the giant elephant. He almost brought it up a few times, but chickened out at the last second, too afraid that he’d tell him they’d never see each other again. Heru had made a point to mention that Wade could continue living in the apartment after everything, but he’d strategically left out where he would be in the picture. 

“I think we’ve officially gotten everything you need,” Heru said, climbing into his lap after putting away the last of the new dishes.

“I think so,” he agreed and slid his hands down to his waist, “how about we get out of here?”

“And go where?” he questioned, cupping the back of Wade’s head with his hands.

“I still owe Weasel some money, I was thinking of going to pay him a visit,” he suggested and Heru nodded.

“Sure, I’m sure he’d like a visit from his favorite merc,” he said smiling.

“Come with me?” he offered with mild hesitation.

_[Whoa introducing him to the family?]_

_{Weasel is family?}_

_[He’s the closest we have to it.]_

“Yea, if you want me to come I’d be happy to meet the infamous Weasel,” he grinned and rolled off his lap. 

“I do,” he watched as he undressed, “I want you to meet him. He gave me the verbal ass kicking I needed after everything happened with the school and made me realize I was being a fucking idiot,” he explained, admiring the show as Heru stood naked while deciding on what to wear.

“That’s where you went after?” he asked, his tone curious but hesitant. They hadn’t talked about Infano, there wasn’t anything left to say but it was still a painful memory for both and not one either of them wanted to bring up.

“Yea, I ended up there and kind of drank the bar dry. He helped me get some perspective,” he grabbed his mask and gloves and pulled them on, “thought it’d be a nice idea to introduce you.” Heru finished dressing and turned around, shrugging his leather jacket onto his shoulders.

“Let’s do it.”

**July 20, 1998**

**Somewhere in a not so friendly neighborhood, New York City** **  
****8:51 PM**

**Heru**

Heru walked down the alley with Wade, his hands stuffed in his coat pockets, listening to Wade tell him the story of how he met Weasel. He listened but his mind was also preoccupied with the voices and thoughts of the future. He was looking forward to meeting Weasel and seeing Margaret’s. It was a major part of Wade’s life and he knew that Weasel and the other mercs were the closest thing he had to a family but in a way, that made it worse. He was in essence, bringing him home to meet the family, and that was not something that Heru had ever experienced or considered a part of his reality. He had not been the kind of guy someone brought home to meet their parents when he had been alive and he was even less so as a reaper. As a result, he was riddled with anxiety. 

They came to a halt just outside an unmarked back door in a dimly lit alley. Garbage lined the walls and by all appearances it was just a dead end alley.

“Ready?” Wade asked, flashing him a grin from under his mask and opening the door. He’d worn civvies again, his mask rolled down to cover his scars. 

“Lead on jellybean,” he said with a grin, swallowing the rising panic. Noise erupted from the open door. 

_{There’s no point in even telling you how stupid this is, is there?}_

_Nope_.

Heru followed him inside, and his hands clenched into fists in his pocket, he took in the sight. There were numerous ‘villains’ everywhere, laughing and talking loudly as they drank, played pool and darts. There was a ruckus in the corner as two people had a scuffle, no one paid them any attention. Heru followed Wade as they weaved through the tables towards the bar.

“Weas!” Wade shouted happily and a sandy haired man looked up from behind the bar, large round glasses hiding a set of tired green eyes. 

“Wade,” he acknowledged, his eyes landing on Heru and sharply assessing him. 

_‘He’s interesting’_

“Weas, I wanna introduce you to my honey,” Wade said, draping an arm around Heru and pulling him forward, “Heru this is Weasel, Weasel meet Heru,” he introduced and Heru fumbled with his face, attempting to form a smile.

“Hi,” he managed, Weasel’s cold gaze unflinching as he dried a mug with a dirty towel.

“So you’re Death huh?” he said after the silence had grown uncomfortable.

“Uh, kind of?” Heru sat down on one of the stools, “more like an agent of Death,” he patted the stool next to him and Wade sat down.

“Two glasses of your finest barkeep!” Wade ordered with a grin and Weasel scowled.

“You still owe me a grand for your last visit,” he complained and Wade sighed dramatically.

“Yea, yea,” he pulled out a wad of cash, counted it and handed it over, “here, and again, sorry about before.”

“Forget about it,” Weasel took the cash and pocketed it before digging a bottle of rye out from under the counter and poured them two glasses.

The night turned out to be a lot of fun and for a while, Heru relaxed enough to actually enjoy it. They played several rounds of pool with Outlaw and Domino until Wade got tired of continuously losing. They instigated a fight when things had grown too quiet and Heru had sat back and just watched, not wanting to touch anyone but he enjoyed the show nevertheless. Margaret’s became a regular outing and they ended up going back almost nightly, spending their afternoons planning and their evenings having fun. Wade took him to all of his favorite spots in the city and they returned to Dave and Busters a couple times to see who the better dancer truly was. There were a couple of days where Heru had almost felt like he was alive again. It was the closest thing he’d come to a routine in years. The weeks passed in a wild mixture of rapidly flying by while simultaneously dragging and he savored every moment knowing that it would end all too soon. They both made a point not to bring up the fact that their relationship had an expiration date and avoided talking about what would happen after Zion.

_It doesn’t have to end._

_[Of course it does]_

_ <We could make it work> _

_{It wouldn’t be fair to him}_

Heru lay next to him on the bed, the soft glow of the street lights casting shadows across Wade’s sleeping face. It was supposed to be his last night with him and he had savored every mundane moment of the last three weeks. He didn’t want it to end and he wished he could slow down time so that he could stay there forever, content to just exist in that moment.


	25. Chapter 25

###  Chapter Twenty Five

**August 8, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **11:38 AM**

**Heru**

“Here,” Heru handed Wade his belt and looked up at him from the bed. They would be leaving for the docks soon and the other man was talking wildly, walking around the apartment half dressed as he attempted to calm his nerves for the past half hour. “It’s going to be ok,” he reminded him when he’d paused to take a breath.

“Of course it is,” he clipped the belt on and started looking around for his holsters, “I’m not worried.”

“Gun cabinet,” he gestured at the large dark green cabinets on the opposite wall and watched him with a mixture of amusement and apprehension. He’d never seen him so nervous. They’d gone over the plan a hundred times, reviewed it just minutes ago and it was a good plan, a solid plan. However, he wasn’t entirely sure which reality they were in and wasn’t able to provide him with a definite answer as to whether it would work or not. Over the last three weeks, they had worked on it almost obsessively. They spent several nights watching the docks, learning the routines of the dock workers and what would happen when the mutants arrived in the shipping container. They would be lifted off the boat and placed in the shipping yard among hundreds of other crates. They would be left there for several hours while Orion’s security cleared out the yard of all the dock workers and brought in their transport after sundown. Deadpool would have to intervene at that point. The biggest problem that they would face would be the collars around the mutants necks that served a dual purpose. Their primary function was to inhibit the mutant’s powers but they were also used as a means of control, allowing the handlers to shock anyone who got too rowdy. Heru explained to Wade that there was the possibility that they could increase the voltage and use it to kill all the mutants remotely which meant they needed a way to disable them right away. Einstein was able to pull up the schematics for the collars and while they wouldn’t be able to remove them as any physical tampering would trigger the failsafe that would cause the ring to blow up, they had discovered that an EM pulse would disable it long enough for them to get them out of range of being used to hurt them. 

Heru and Wade had argued about whether or not they should involve anyone else. Heru had argued that Spider-Man would be willing to help and could get his hands on an EMP device if not make one himself but Wade had flat out refused. He claimed it was too dangerous and not in Spidey’s wheelhouse of baddies but he didn’t think that was the full truth. After a lot of pressing, he finally admitted it was because the hero wouldn’t want Deadpool to kill anyone and Wade wanted them all dead. Heru hadn’t been able to come up with a counterpoint and that had put an end to the conversation. Weasel had supplied them with the EMP device and Wade packed into his Hello Kitty backpack along with rope, several grapplings, amo and a handful of knives. He finished putting on all his holsters and the weapons that went with them, Bae and Arthur creating that iconic X behind his head.

“Ready snookums?” he asked, pulling the bag over his shoulders before grabbing his mask.

“Yep,” he followed him out onto the fire escape and jumped down, waiting. The shipment was scheduled to arrive in the late afternoon and Wade wanted to make sure they were there long beforehand. It would give them the time to identify the Ponoa security and their various hiding spots, they were bound to surround the area to ensure the transport went smoothly. They made their way to the subway and headed for the shipyard.    
  


**August 8, 1998** **  
** **Columbia Street Waterfront District** **  
** **Brooklyn, NY** **  
** **1:01 PM**

**Wade**

Wade sat tucked behind the ledge of the Pok Pok restaurant building across the shipyard, his binoculars held up as he stared out at the port. He had identified ten Ponoa guards already as they moved around the perimeter, M4 carbines held in their hands as they stalked around. Orion had paid for the private security, had ensured everything was legal and the port authority paid them no mind. He could see the ship carrying the mutants as it made its way through the upper bay, slowly coming up to the docks. 

“Ok, tell me the plan again,” Heru said from beside him, his back against the ledge and Wade glanced at him.

“We wait until they’ve unloaded the container and it’s dark. Then we take out the security and disable the collars. We wait for the transport truck, take out the drivers, disable the GPS and get the fuck out,” he summarized and Heru let out a heavy sigh. The reaper seemed nervous which was making him nervous.

“Right ok,” he nodded and Wade narrowed his lenses at him.

“What? You foresee a problem?” he asked. He tried not to get irritated by his cryptic and often too vague warnings, but sometimes he almost wished Heru wasn’t able to see the outcome. It added a pressure that had him second guessing everything he was doing, worrying more about how he could be messing it up instead of focusing on the present. He was afraid he’d end up making a mistake as a result and he understood why people weren’t supposed to know the future. 

“No,” he shook his head quickly, “it’s just been awhile since I did anything like this and I forgot how nerve wracking it all can be when you don’t know the outcome,” he explained and Wade smiled.

“Don’t worry brown eyes, it’ll be a walk in the park… a very quiet, deadly walk,” he winked and went back to looking out at the docks. The ship was pulling up alongside the pier and little ant sized people were gathering around. 

“Do you have any gum?” He felt Heru’s hands on his waist and glanced down to see him trying to open a pouch.

“To the left,” he told him, shifting to give him better access, “I’ll take one too,” he said as Heru opened a pouch to find it stuffed with a dozen gumballs, mentos, a Chinese finger trap and chapstick. 

“I love your idea of essentials,” he said happily and held up a blue gumball. Wade lifted his mask and Heru popped it into his mouth.

“Gotta be prepared for every occasion,” he answered as he chewed. They waited for an hour as the ship was unloaded. He tried to identify the shipping container as they were lifted off but he couldn’t get a good enough view. However, the group of armed men that ended up surrounding a particular crate as it was taken to the yard was a pretty good give away. The transportation wasn’t scheduled until after dark, Kenal wouldn’t dare try to move two dozen people in broad daylight so they settled in for the day. They passed the time playing cards and having thumb wars, periodically checking on everything to make sure no new security had shown up and that everything was the same. When the sun set, they put away their games and Wade rolled his mask back down.

“Time to get crackalackin’,” he said and they climbed down the building. It was going to be a challenge to go unseen, the area totally open and there weren’t exactly a lot of places to take cover. Heru had said something about extending his presence and that it would add a little cover but he hadn’t really understood what he’d meant. They headed across the street and down the open field towards the cluster of shipping containers. There were two sentries that were walking the outer perimeter, separated by a few dozen meters, their backs turned towards each other. Wade snuck up behind the first guard and covered his mouth with one leather clad hand while using the other to slit his throat with his bowie knife. Heru appeared in front of them, his eyes black as he reaped the man’s soul and Wade gently laid the body down, not wanting to make any noise. Sticking to the shadows, he quietly ran up behind the other guard and slit his throat. He dragged him deeper into the shadows. He pulled a set of wire cutters from his pack and cut through the wire fence that boarded the property and climbed through as quietly as he could. Heru followed as he led the way through the maze of shipping crates. He paused to peer around a corner and spotted two more guards. He pulled out two of his throwing knives and, using both hands, he carefully threw them. They sailed through the air and logged themselves into their throats, cutting their trachea and preventing them from being able to call for backup. Heru was already kneeling beside them when Wade ran over and took one of the radios and earpieces. He tucked the earpiece in under his mask and hooked the radio to his belt.

“Can you tell me where the rest are currently?” he whispered to Heru. He knew where they had been before but they were continuously moving around and after a moment of chewing his lip and glaring over his shoulder he nodded.

“Up there for the next one,” he said and pointed to a large stack of containers. He pulled the knives out, wiped the blades against his pant leg and dragged the bodies into the shadow of a container. Reminding himself of Spider-Man, he climbed the tower of crates like a spider, using the bars on the sides to pull himself up. He peered over the edge and spotted the guard. He stood with his back to him, hands readily on his gun. Silently, he lifted himself up and readied his knife. In two strides he had the guard laying down. He slit his throat in one swift motion. Shaking the blood from his knife and hands, he climbed back down. Heru was at the bottom waiting for him.

They continued around the perimeter, taking out every security guard they came across. There were a few close calls. Speed was of the essence as they needed to neutralize everyone before they were to check in, giving Wade a mere fifteen minutes to secure the yard. 

“I have a bad feeling,” Heru whispered as they approached the shipping container. Wade held Bae in one hand and Larry in the other. 

“What’s up boo?” he asked, looking at his worried face, his heart pounding in his chest. 

_ {This was too easy} _

“I don’t know, but you better use that emp device quickly,” he uttered, leaning against the metal frame. 

“Keep a lookout,” he instructed and pulled his bag off once more to pull out the metal device. It was small and cylindrical and he twisted the end Weasel had shown him. A green light started to flash in the center, flashing faster and faster. There was a sharp ringing and the device hummed in his hand. Heru pulled out his cell phone and tried to turn it on.

“Looks like it worked,” he mused, showing him the black screen. 

“Thanks Weas,” he muttered and put the device back in his back, “come on, let’s get out of sight,” he quietly suggested and they hid between two containers, tucked in the shadows. 

“What time is it?” he asked and Wade glanced at his dead watch.

“No idea,” he whispered back and Heru fell silent, listening to something behind him.

“The truck will be here in five minutes,” he whispered and Wade assumed Future or Present had provided the answer. “Wade this isn’t right, this was too easy,” he whispered and he scowled, his gut agreeing.

“So tell me what’s wrong,” he said, rolling his eyes but Heru shook his head.

“I don’t know,” his eyes went black as he stared at the container. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, “too many realities, it’s in too much of a state of flux for me to figure out where we are,” he tilted his head, “hold on, I’ll go look,” he said and vanished.   
“Heru!” he hissed, looking around, “fuck,” he sighed and anxiously shifted his weight before deciding to not wait for him. He quietly slipped out from his hiding spot and went to the container. He picked the lock and opened it slowly.

_ {Well shit} _

It was empty and the still air was immediately filled with the sound of well over a dozen safeties being clicked off. Several little red dots fell on his chest as he turned around to see himself completely surrounded and all weapons focused on him.

“Shit sticks.”

**August 8, 1998** **  
** **Columbia Street Waterfront District** **  
** **Brooklyn, NY** **  
** **9:08 PM**

**Heru**

Heru left Wade at the container and reappeared in the next shipping yard over where several of the other containers from the ship had been taken. 

_ {How did you not see this?} _

_ <He was too busy ignoring you> _

He walked through the rows of containers, the distant sound of voices bouncing off the metal walls and he headed towards them. He rounded the corner to see half a dozen armed men opening a container. He realized what was happening when he saw the scared faces of the mutants inside.

_ Fuck. I have to warn Wade. _

_ [You are not meant to interfere] _

_ The fuck I can’t. This isn’t fixed. I spent my entire human life taking down human traffickers and fighting against the discrimination of those deemed other. I will not stand by and just allow  _ this _ to happen! _

_ [Why? Why bother doing this? It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, these lives are insignificant] _

_ Exactly! It isn’t fixed. It doesn’t matter and therefore it’s all that matters! It matters  _ now _ , these lives matter right now in this time. It’s short, insignificant and not even a breath in the grand scheme of time, but it is life and that’s all that matters right now.  _

As he finally got off the fence and made the decision to interfere, the timestream settled and he could see the events settling into place, new names appearing on his list. He turned, focused on Wade and reappeared in front of him.

“Wade it’s a trap!” he said quickly, “they’ve already….” 

“Hey snookums, you’re a bit late to the party,” Wade answered, his hands in the air and Heru looked around to see him surrounded by more than twenty men, all their weapons fixed on him.

“I see you started without me,” he turned back to him.

“The mutants aren’t here,” he whispered and several of the men looked at each other confusedly, Heru remained out of their sight.

“I know, they’re transporting them now. They’ll have to come through this lot in order to get out. You’ve got three minutes at best,” he explained and Deadpool’s eyes narrowed, his muscles coiling as he understood what he was saying.

“Roger that,” he said with a curt nod and Heru stood on his toes to plant a kiss on his jaw.

“Play me a song Piano Man,” he whispered in his ear and pulled away, blackness rolling across his eyes as he stepped back.

“Put on your dancing shoes,” he replied as chaos erupted. It was glorious and Heru vanished as Wade dove behind the open door of the crate while pulling Larry and Moe out, firing the first shots. Gun fire exploded and Heru reappeared beside the first two casualties, their souls sliding into him before he weaved through the air, following Wade’s trail of bullets. He grinned as Wade shouted curses and yo mama jokes, bullets ripping through him but he shrugged them off. He kept moving, never presenting them with a still target as he sang his way around them. Heru danced alongside him, reaping as the bodies fell and before he could really enjoy the steps, it was over. He dropped the last body, the woman’s soul sliding up his arm as her corpse fell from the tower of crates. Wade stood in the center, chest heaving in pain, his suit shredded in several spots where a number of bullets had ripped through the leather. Heru appeared in front of him and he grinned down at him.

“That was fun,” he chimed and Heru pressed a hand to his chest.

“The night’s just getting started,” he said as he pushed life energy into him, speeding up his heal factor exponentially and his wounds healed faster. Wade gave a quick shake.

“Thanks sweetums, now let’s go,” he turned and sprinted towards the highest tower of containers and climbed them in a matter of seconds. Once on top, they could see the truck weaving its way through the maze of crates, nearing the gate. 

“Go!” Heru urged and he watched as Wade jumped from tower to tower, reaching the last and jumping to the ground. He landed in a roll and was up and chasing after the truck in a single breath, his enhanced strength giving him inhuman speed. Heru watched him as he launched himself in the air and managed to grab hold of the back of the truck. He scrambled onto it, using Arthur to anchor himself and climb his way across the top of the speeding vehicle. Heru stepped out into the air as Wade reached the driver’s side. He appeared between the two men in the truck as Wade grabbed the driver by his collar.

“Be quick,” Heru warned, “there’s men in the back and those collars haven’t been deactivated,” he said, vanishing to follow the driver as he was thrown. His head collided with the guard rail and left a streak of gore behind, Heru grabbed his soul quickly. He made it back to the truck, the other guard dead against the door, a bullet through his head. Wade was bleeding from multiple gunshots and Heru reaped the passenger before opening the door and tossing his body out. 

“Get the thingamajiggy,” he ordered, prying off his Hello Kitty bag and tossing it at him. Heru hastily opened it up and began digging around for it.

“Will it work again?” he asked.

“Weasel knows I’m a fuck up, he made sure the device had at least three charges,” he replied and Heru’s fingers wrapped around the cool metal. He pulled it out but hesitated.

“We can’t use this or the truck will die. Find us another means of transportation, I’ll take care of the guys in the back,” he said before vanishing and reappearing in the cargo hold of the U-Haul. There were three men with guns, two by the door and one in the back. The mutants were huddled on the floor, practically on top of each other. They were packed in so tightly that the fact that Wade was driving like an absolute maniac didn’t even matter, there was no room for anyone to roll around. The guards were holding onto straps hanging from the roof with one hand, their other hands on their guns pointed at the prisoners. He looked at them, their names only recently added to his list and for the first time in centuries, he would take their lives with his own hands. He hadn’t used his power to kill in years, he always drove his deathday presents to suicide, convincing himself that he wasn’t actually killing. It was an addiction for him, something he found harder and harder to resist the more he did it and he had tried to stop. Heru sighed, it didn’t matter, these people needed to die and he’d finally gotten off his high horse and had decided to interfere. He reached out and touched both of the guards at the door. They collapsed to the floor, dead the second he had touched them with his death energy. He stepped in front of the third and brushed his hand against his cheek. Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself to be seen. There was a loud gasp from the frightened passengers and he held up his hands.

“It’s ok, we’re here to help.”

Wade took the next exit and the truck came to a slow stop. Heru popped back into the front, the black fading from his eyes.

“Keep an eye on them, use the thingy. I’m going to go look for another truck,” he told him and hopped out. He found an unmarked ten foot moving truck parked in the parking lot of Pointe Plaza hotel. After making sure no one was around, he broke into it, hotwired it and drove it back to where the others were waiting. Putting it in park, he jumped out as Wade was letting the frightened mutants out. He talked to them quietly, his tone calm and reassuring even though Heru guessed most of them didn’t speak English fluently but they seemed to have enough of a grasp to understand some of his words. He recognized the look on Wade’s face, a deep feeling of desperate relief to finally be helping someone instead of hurting them, the same relief flooding through him. 

“Collars disabled?” he asked as he walked up to them and Wade looked up.

“Yea, there’s probably a GPS on that truck,” he said nodding at the more recently stolen of the two.

“I’ll disable it if you want to help them get situated inside,” he suggested and Wade nodded.

“Sure thing snookums,” he turned to the small crowd, “alright we’re transfering into this truck, sorry about the accommodations, but it’s only for a little over an hour,” he shouted. Ten minutes later, they were back on I-278 E and heading towards North Salem. 

“We should get them some water,” Heru said a few minutes later.

“We can’t stop again,” he answered, looking in the side mirror at the black SUV that was following a few cars behind, “I’m pretty sure we have a tail.” Heru looked in the mirror and frowned.

“I’ll take care of it and then I’ll get them some water, don’t worry, we don’t need to stop,” he said and vanished. He appeared in the SUV, unseen to make sure it was Ponoa men. It was full of half a dozen armed mercenaries. He placed his hand on the door, the cold black running down his arm and spreading out in webs across the metal. As it touched the seats, the men slumped, their hearts stopping instantly. Heru grabbed the steering wheel and managed to keep it on the road as he climbed into the dead driver’s lap and kicked his feet out of the way. He pulled the car onto the shoulder and put it in park, hitting the hazards. A voice crackled over the radio, asking for an update. Heru grabbed the speaker and attempted to distort his voice, he told them the truck had taken another exit and was heading towards Huntington. 

Satisfied, he popped over to a WalMart and grabbed three flats of water bottles before stepping back into the cargo hold.

“Hi,” he greeted the startled group and set the water on the floor. There was more room in the new truck and with the collars temporarily disabled, one of them had conjured an artificial light source, “that’s helpful,” he pointed out, “thanks. Here’s some water, I’ll be right back with something to eat.” He stepped into a different WalMart and grabbed several loaves of bread, a few blocks of cheese and two bags of apples. When he got back to the truck, they had opened the cases of water and were handing them out.

“Where are you taking us?” a young woman bravely asked, her chin held high and she had clearly been appointed leader of their group. He studied her face, recognizing her from the many files Kenal had on their ‘assets’. 

“Somewhere safe,” he answered, “it’s a safe place for mutants, they’ll protect you from the people who did this and get you home safely,” he promised, trusting in Wade’s plan, “we’ll be there in about an hour, so hang tight, it’s almost over,” he tried to smile reassuringly before he reappeared in the passenger’s seat.

“Ok, I got them some food and water. I don’t know when they were given any last,” he said with a sigh, handing a water bottle to Deadpool. Wade twisted the lid off before pulling his mask up and downing the bottle.

“Thanks,” he said with a gasp, handing the empty bottle back.

“Let’s just hope the Professor is in,” he said hopefully. After their argument about whether or not to involve Spider-Man they’d had to figure out what they were going to do with the mutants once they’d rescued them. They were not, in any way, equipped to house twenty three terrified and traumatized mutants. They couldn’t go to the Avengers again, not with so many people to house, Wade was certain they would ask too many questions. He wanted them kept out of the business with Kenal Industries for as long as possible. He wanted to burn the organization to the ground and every last person who worked for them. Heru knew Wade fully intended to continue going after Orion when they finished with Zion. He was going to bring them to their knees and Heru had no desire to get in his way. So they had agreed that the best thing to do would bring them to Professor Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters. The X-Men were capable of making sure they all got home safely and if any chose to stay, they would be able to help set them up with new lives, safe from Orion. He just hoped Professor X wasn’t going to mind them showing up unannounced in the middle of the night with a truck load of mutants.


	26. Chapter 26

###  Chapter Twenty Six

**August 9, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **12:32 AM**

**Heru**

Wade was exhausted, Heru could tell by the way his smiles didn’t quite make it to his eyes, in the stiffness of his movements and the heaviness of his voice but he continued to insist he was fine. They had reached the school shortly after ten thirty and Heru had excitedly introduced himself to Professor X. He’d listened as Deadpool had filled them in on what happened and he was relieved when they agreed to help. They’d taken the refugees inside the mansion, offered them a safe place and Heru had given Beast the disk with the schematics for the collars so that he could work out how to safely remove them. After they were lectured on the proper use of a telephone and they had promised to call the next time, they ditched the truck and “borrowed” one of Wolverine’s bikes. It had been a long day, even though it had been successful and both of them felt relieved and proud that they’d been able to prevent that year’s Zion auction. It would be the last that Kenal Industries would host. Although he didn’t need to tell him that the selling of mutants wouldn’t stop for another generation or two, it was progress nevertheless and he wouldn’t spoil the victory for him. However, it meant it was over, the story was drawing to the conclusion and they both knew it. He understood Wade’s sullen attitude; he didn’t want it to end either. They’d only made it home a few minutes ago and Wade was in the shower cleaning up. He would have joined him but he’d told him he needed to pack up his stuff except now that he was standing in the living room staring at the few possessions he had, he didn’t want to pack. He looked around the apartment and realized that from the moment Wade had unofficially moved in, it had become home. Before that, it had just been the place he killed time in, where he passed the linear part of his existence while working. An ache shivered through him as he thought about how he wouldn’t need any of these creature comforts for the next eight months. He had intended to send his possessions back through time and was going to take a break from being linear. It was typically how he spent his time between Deathday presents and really the only thing that had managed to help him maintain any semblance of sanity. Or maybe it was just another reason his humanity had rapidly been dissolving and he’d been so disconnected he hadn’t realized it. He would step back and simply work, reap without interacting with anyone and the time always passed much quicker that way. Now though, he looked over at the bed tucked against the wall, Louie’s cage and the pile of dirty clothing Wade had been adding to every day.

_ ‘Let’s stay’ _

_ [You can’t] _

_ <Just for a little longer?> _

_ ‘What difference does it make really, if we stay for a time?’ _

_ {There’s work to do} _

_ [You’re not a part of the living. Why try to delude yourself that you can be?] _

It was true, he wasn’t alive and to pretend like he could live a normal life, even with someone who wouldn’t grow old and had Wade’s near immortality, was likely a bad idea. 

_ {You’ve tried this before} _

He sat down on the couch and chewed his lip, the shower stopped and Heru could hear the curtain as it was pulled aside. When he had first become a reaper, he had maintained a normal, human life. He had gone to university, had even managed a minor career on Broadway before returning to L.A. and teaching drama at U.C.L.A. He’d done that for twelve years, reaping in the night hours when he would otherwise have been asleep. Then Andreas had died and everything had changed. After a couple hundred years of basically wandering from one point in time to the next, he had settled down again with Relanni. Her race had a much longer life than humans and for a while, he was content to return to her tower for hours every day. Except she had passed as well, too soon for her kind, and he’d had enough. He had pulled away, had used his time with his Deathday presents as the only time he would actually settle into a time stream. It had become too painful living in the world while never actually being a part of it. Except… he picked up the Taco Bell wrappers Wade had carelessly discarded in the direction of the coffee table. Now he wanted to do it again. 

_ {You truly are a masochist} _

_ [You will give up this human fallacy eventually] _

“Maybe,” he said, crunching up the garbage, “but not for a little while longer, regardless of what this writer wants.” Wade strode out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and another over his head. Heru grinned at the pointlessness of the towel twisted atop his bald head.

“What’s that muffin?” he asked, going over to the dresser and rummaging for a pair of clean pajamas. 

“Nothing,” he tossed the food wrappers in the garbage and checked on Louie’s water before climbing onto the bed. He propped his head on his hand as he watched Wade finish drying off before pulling on a pair of plaid pajamas and held out a hand, “come here,” he patted the bed and pulled him into his arms when he obliged. 

“I thought you were going to pack,” he pointed out, glancing over at all the game systems and other possessions left exactly as they had been. 

“Mmm, well about that…”

_ [Be smart about this] _

“You gonna stay?” Wade asked, his tone nonchalant but he could see the fearfully hopeful glint in his eyes and he wanted nothing more than to say yes. Instead, he pulled him in for a kiss, letting his body express what he’d never been good at saying with words. He reveled in the passion Wade kissed him with, his soul pouring into him as he wrapped him in his arms. Heru was desperate for him to know just how much it all meant to him, to be held and to be loved when he had grown so cold. Life energy pooled in the center of his chest, drawn out by Wade’s feather light kisses across his chest and Heru pushed the flood of energy outward so that it mingled with Wade’s energy. He smiled when Wade gasped, and he was over top of him, his mouth on his again kissing him with a new intensity.

_ Mine. _

**August 9, 1998**

**517 W 135th St,** **  
** **Harlem, New York City** **  
** **4:22 AM**

**Wade**

Wade wrapped Heru’s arms around him tighter, Heru’s forehead pressed between his shoulder blades, his smaller body curved around his much larger one. For a while, he laid there, eyes closed and just savoring the feel of him.

_ I love being the little spoon. _

_ {He’s leaving} _

_ He didn’t say that. _

_ {He didn’t say he was staying either} _

He pulled his arms away and rolled over so that he could face him, brushing his hair from his eyes.

_ Can’t we stay here forever? _

“I love you,” he whispered, pressing a kiss against the bridge of his nose. He felt Heru’s body relax even further against his as he drew in a deep breath. He pulled away enough to look up at him with those wide and ancient eyes, the words still trapped behind them. He smiled weakly and kissed him gently, “you’re not staying, are you?”

“It’s… complicated,” he stated as Wade curled around him and rested his head on his chest, Heru traced the curves of his skin lazily, “there are certain souls like Bradley’s that require me to stay still,” Wade frowned up at him, “in time I mean, I have to have this linear existence where I’m a part of that timeline, sometimes as long as three or four months. Then I get to go whenever I want and that’s when I could be here, with you… for you it wouldn’t be any different. It would be the same as when I would go see Bradley. It’d only be a matter of hours that would pass for you but it would be a lot longer for me. Does that make sense?”

“Mm so you’d still be here every morning when I woke up?” he asked, his thumb casually flicking his nipple ring.

“Yea, and I’d be here every night, stay the weekends with you and just appear to have a regular day job,” he explained, his breath catching slightly at the pleasant sensation caused by his movements.

“But months would pass for you while it was only hours for me?” he questioned, his face pensive.

“Yep, that’s the simplified version,” he said, a forced lightheartedness in his voice as he watched him consider it, “it’s that or…” he trailed off, not wanting to say the rest.

“Or you leave for good and I never see you again?” he said, finishing the thought for him.

“Basically,” he sighed and Wade curled into him.

“Stay,” he whispered, pressing a kiss against his heart, giving him the hope that maybe, just for a time, it was possible that neither of them would have to be alone.


End file.
